Dig-Dig #5: Fossil Safari, Wyoming

The long drive of the previous day paid off in that we were within a couple of hours of the next destination: Fossil Safari, near Kemmerer, Wyoming. The white spots on the map below are the actual quarry sites. Three huge antelope, looking very African, skipped across the dirt road during the last mile.


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This was really, really fun. The big slabs of rock pop open with a satisfying, dry crack after a few whacks with a hammer and chisel. By carefully pursuing a split along the edge, you can peel off sheet after sheet like thumbing through a book with very thick pages. The fish are all within, having been gently pressed like flowers over millions of years. Revealing them is truly an exciting moment.

One of Aya's early finds: a little herring, previous tenant of the ocean that was here before the desert came.

One classroom from our little school of petrified fish.

Chris, the very friendly, helpful and informative host, used his robotic arm attachment to cut our bigger finds into transportable pieces.

This caused a stir. One of the regulars, who hunts for fossils to sell, cracked open an average-looking slab to reveal this monster. Looking at Fossil Safari's website, we think it might be a mioplosus, but that's only because we think we know what we're talking about and we don't. The arrangement with the quarry is that you get to keep smaller, common fossils while they keep the big, rare finds. This one was instantly claimed by the quarry, which might have put a bit of a damper on the elation the finder felt at the biggest hit of his career.

Here's a video of Keith splitting a large slab to reveal...




Here are some of the larger, complete ones that we brought home:
The lower piece was part of a "mortality layer" where it appears that many fish died at about the same time, probably due to a landslide or other natural disaster. There were eight whole fish and a few pieces on this one slab, which we cut up for transporting.

A fantastic double-sided fossil, with the split going right down the center of the fish. Perhaps history's first kipper.


This, our largest one is still partially covered by a fine layer of rock. We will use a Dremmel tool to gently reveal its petro-ichthystic glory.

Dig-Dig #4: Wyoming Hotspring

Aya researched natural hot springs before we left. This one wasn't exactly on the list, but we could smell it while we were looking for a different one. Though it was on private land, there were no signs warning against trespass and the road had no gate.

Here's the Google Maps link.

The large pool was lukewarm, but the white mineral deposits on the far side suggested something better.

Lovely hot water bubbling out of connected pools, from about a meter to two meters deep. We quickly became accustomed to the light sulfur smell and enjoyed a long, glorious soak, listening to the gurgling sounds of the springs echoing under the hollow rock formations.

We saw pools like this in Yellowstone NP many years ago but of course they were off-limits. It was amazing to be able to gently slip into one and enjoy the hot water.

Lightning flashed in the sky around us and the sun set behind storm clouds while we set up our tent without a drop of rain.

Dig-Dig #3: Sapphire Video

Don't believe it's really that easy? Watch Chris, the very friendly owner of Gem Mountain, demonstrate the wash routine:



And now the flip:

Dig-Dig #2: Sapphires in Montana

Google Maps link to Gem Mountain.

Arriving at Gem Mountain in the late afternoon, we set up camp and made a great big dinner of pork cutlets and a Beringer White Merlot. It is hard to go wrong making a bright, flavourful rosé from well-ripened grapes, but this is where Beringer shows real determination. We can recommend this wine if you like sugar and hate your tongue. The pork was excellent, however, and we fried up some extra for the next day's sandwiches, hoping to eat them from a gunny sack by the crick, or something equally rustic.

Aya could hardly sleep in anticipation of the next day's activities: pulling raw sapphires from the pure Montana dirt.

Here's how it works:

You buy a bucket of alluvial gravel.

Pour a manageable amount into your screen.

Take the screen of dirt to the washing trough, which is filled with warm Montana river water. One of those adjectives is not accurate.

Using the two washing techniques demonstrated by the Gem Mountain staff, get the small pebbles to the center and the larger ones to the outside edge in a circular pattern. Heavier sapphires will sink to the bottom.

Flip the screen over in one smooth motion.

There. There. There and there. At least four sapphires of different colours in this batch. Did you know that rubies are rare red sapphires?


Sunday afternoon at Gem Mountain.

We looked through seven buckets of gravel before taking our collection into the office to have them assayed. A total of 95.56 carats on the first day!

First the sapphires are sorted by size.

Those above a certain size and without flaws are considered "cuttable". Heat treating will enhance the colour.

Anticipation.

The first day's cuttable sapphires, averaging almost one carat each.

We only went through three buckets of gravel in the morning of the second day but managed to find almost as many as the day before. Only one less cuttable gem and another eight that are "flawed but cuttable". We left them all to be heat treated and cut into whatever shape best suits each one. They'll show up in the mail in a few months after we have forgotten about them, bringing joy into a rainy winter's day.

Dig-Dig #1: Road Trip

Back in 2003 we went to Ica, Peru, and had our first taste of fossil hunting under the expert direction of Sr. Roberto "Penny" Cabrera.

We piled into his specially-equipped pick-up truck.

We camped on the desert floor.

We searched for fossils.

We found whales...

... and shark's teeth.

If it can be said that we have the fossil-hunting bug, then that trip was the vector of our disease, eventually leading us to research places in North America where we could dig around in the dirt for surprising items of questionable value.

This August, we succumbed to a full-on relapse and drove almost 5,000 kilometers in search of very old fish, extinct sea-bugs, and shiny pretty things.

Here is a link to our route on the ever-wonderful Google Maps.

And here is a small on-board version for the timid. If it's loading slowly, try clicking on Map to turn off the Satellite view.



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The Little Mountain Gallery Show

Aya put in many long hours, gallery-sitting. The flowers came from our good friends Yoko and Yasuyo.

Keith was very happy with the framing of this etched-acrylic piece. The cast shadow becomes the drawing.

The cut-paper piece was a big hit.

We had a table for art and photos from Waka and Tao, who mailed their Thirty Days Project material Japan.

Promoting Our Show

Tim Gerwing brought his equipment and played a fantastic set of music during our closing event. He graced us with a rocking version of "Zeppelin".

Little Mountain Gallery, 195 East 26th Avenue, Vancouver

The flowers were Aya's idea.

Sidewalk chalk was the best advertising dollar we spent.
It cost a dollar.
Many visitors said they had seen the writing and just decided to come in.

They also liked the balloons.

Closing Event Catering

Aya applied her high standards to another round of catering, this time for our closing event at Little Mountain Gallery.
A full table, with sangria blanca.

Basil-tossed roast beef canapés.

Grilled peppers and tomatoes on focaccia.

Taramasalata canapés with cucumber & lemon relish.
Papadam and veggies with cilantro chutney dip.

Custard pudding cake.

Lemon squares, chocolate cookies, chocolate pavlova.

Show of Photos at Root Down Café

Today we opened a new show of our photographs at Rootdown Café. That's two concurrently, much to our surprise. This show will be up for the month of August, so stop in and see them and have one of Brett's excellent coffees. His double macchiato is fantastic.

Here's a Google Maps link:
Rootdown Café, 128 East Broadway, between Main and Quebec.

Aya's high-contrast series of plants near our home.

Keith's photos of surprising moments of sunlight and shadow.
We'll post some of these on our Flickr account for those who cannot make it to see them in person.