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Field Trips
DPS HOTLINE Number: (Metro) 817-355-4693
ALWAYS call the HOTLINE before a trip!
UPCOMING TRIPS
July 12:
Echinoid trip
to west Tarrant County. This trip is to
augment the July General Meeting.
Meet at the IHOP at Quebec Lane at Loop 820
at 8:00 am.
July 20
RARE PLEISTOCENE FIELD TRIP - The location
is a privately owned sand/gravel quarry. It's a fairly open segmented quarry in the Trinity
River Basin with beautiful multicolored sand/gravel walls and some Austin Chalk material.
Meet Sunday, July 20 8:00 AM at the Exxon service station/mart in Hutchins, TX.
That's on I-45 just south of I-20 in SE Dallas area. Coming south down I-45 take exit 273, service road to E.Palestine/Dowdy Ferry Road and go under I-45 to the Exxon station on the east side of 45.
Address questions to
Roger Farish or see him at the next
meeting.
3rd weekend in July. There is a trip to
Mississippi.
Cancelled!
August 16th
Oliver Creek Field Trip:
A Field Trip is planned for Oliver Creek
–
more information to follow. The article
below was originally published in the
September 2007 edition of The Fossil
Record.
Oliver Creek Field Trip – Wrap-up
By Roger Farish
The fossil gods smiled
and we indeed had a wet one. After one
rain mid-morning, a real gully buster
drove the diehards off in mid-afternoon.
We had more folks
than we’ve ever had on this trip. As I
was visiting with the Williamses there
were still cars coming down the main
county road, BUT it turned out that
there was plenty for everyone – after
the spring rains. Several people had
called earlier about canceling the trip
because of rain and I simply replied,
"PRAY FOR RAIN". We got to the area
around 9 a.m. and flowed down to the
creek to begin our individual quests.
The creek was clean, clear and cool –
simply babbling along but only ankle
deep most places. I distributed a dozen
5-gallon buckets for those who didn't
have them and most were filled with what
the handout promised - ammonites and
echinoids.
Several groups of
first-timers found the most Epiaster
whitei since they were shown how to
mine the soft shale seams. Several folks
found some of the less-common
Heteraster adkinsi irregulars, and
the elusive Salenia mexicana
didn’t appear to be so rare after
everyone got calibrated as to what to
look for. I know Linda Farish found
several, I found one and Alex Shahan one
or more. Wish I’d recorded who found the
five to six others. Dr. Keith Minor came
up from Austin and Mike Murphy down from
Ardmore. These guys can help each other
in their respective endeavors. Joe Dubs
found a broken Oxy but it was filled
with calcite crystals. Brian Bowles
discovered the world’s only Pigglydont,
awaiting description. The only ‘first’
was a chunk of matrix containing two
Phymosoma. I don’t know why Linda
wasn’t jumping around. The unusual part
is that it was found on the gravel bar
to the left of where we entered the
creek. This means that it had to have
come from upstream. A Tetragramma
was found last year but way down stream.
Sooo, maybe next year??
Thanks to Dwight
Bartholomew for saving some lovely
display cases from a trash bin for
distribution to all who wanted them. You
may see some more in the auction.
 
The real quest,
though, was for the large
Oxytropidoceras sp. ammonites.
EVERYONE found some of these. The
largest, most complete, with about a
foot and a half of living chamber, was
found by Wes and Kerry Kirpach (shown
above). Wes is a biology teacher in the
Plano ISD. We need to get them active.
To that end, Phil, your trusty
president, handed out DPS tri-folds.
Hopefully we’ll get some back.
By the way, Linda’s
Phymosoma were pretty banged up,
BUT they were Phymosoma.
Before going into the field a little
background information may be useful. Please note the following link is
somewhat specific in nature and variations are likely to be encountered
in other parts of North Texas.
Surface Geology of Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas
Past Field
Trips: Some recent
excursions.
FIELD TRIP BASICS
COMMON FIELD TRIP QUESTIONS.
If you have a
question and the topic is not specifically addressed in the trip
description it is always best to ask the
Field Trip Leader.
Are kids and dogs allowed on
trips? Typically, they are allowed to participate except for quarry
trips. However, take into consideration the
terrain, distance walking and weather conditions from the parking area
to to farthest point you may collect. Can your child or pet walk go the
distance?
What do I need to know if we are going to
a quarry? You must be an
Active Member to
participate on quarry trips. Unless there is an exception,
persons under the age of 18, and pets are not allowed. Hardhats,
protective eye wear and steel-toed boot are highly recommended and
sometimes required.
Sometimes, the quarry will provide hardhats. If these items are not
mentioned in the trip description, ask the trip leader.
I am not a member can I go on a trip?
Generally, Yes. Field trips are considered a privilege of membership.
Sometimes members dues help pay for different aspects of a trip. Some
trips have a limited roster and showing up out of the blue might just
ruin the day for yourself and maybe others. If you
want to go on one or two trips to see if you would like to join feel
free. Just remember, paying customers don't like free-loaders.
WEATHER:
North Texas weather is hard to forecast except in the
summer, typically very hot and dry. The rest of the year the weather can
change quite rapidly. Check the forecast before you leave the house. You
may be caught by surprise but at least you checked, right?
WHAT TO WEAR AND BRING: Prepare for the weather conditions for the
entire trip. Depending upon the time of year there can be a dramatic
need for different clothing from morning to afternoon (or evening if you
camp).
Always bring plenty of water. Whether it is winter or summer
underestimating your fluids intake can be lethal.
Snacks and sack lunches are based on personal preference. Typically,
an all day field trip will stop at a location with at least one
restaurant. Of course you can always do the brown bag lunch and no one
will think otherwise.
Wear tough shoes like work boots or hiking boots if the terrain in rocky. Sneakers are
acceptable for some places like open, generally level fields and creeks.
If collecting in creeks or rivers in cool or cold weather, a pair of
knee high rubber boots or half-body fishing waders will keep you dryer
and warmer. Sandals and shoes with a slick sole are never a
good idea! Fire ants is one good reason. Sunburned toes is another. Knee pad and gloves! Knee pads can be found at local home
improvement stores, some gardening centers and carpet supply stores. One
good type of glove used by weight lifters and cyclists have the finger
tips open for grasping while the
palm of the glove is padded.
Things to carry your fossils in: They can be backpacks, buckets or
sacks. Plastic baggies are always a good thing to include. These can be
easily labeled especially if there are multiple collecting localities.
Film canisters (a soon to be trace fossil) and medicine bottles are
excellent for storing small and fragile fossils. Bring tissue paper to wrap the
delicate and or small fossils. For larger specimens, newspaper or
aluminum foil is good for wrapping and protecting your goodies.
Equipment: This is wide open. Of course the matrix that you will be
digging in will dictate the tools that you use. Ask before you head out.
Some never fail items are an ice pick or awl, a hammer and one or more
cold chisels.
Other equipment: A camera! Photos of in situ fossils are sometimes
better than after you dig it out. Plus, you can get pictures of the
others on the trip. Small brushes, a sledge hammer (even a short handled
4 lbs hammer saves a lot of work). Dynamite is never allowed. (Bummer,
it could come in handy.)
Bringing wading boots, crowbars, pulleys, ropes, signal flares, and
winches or wenches is only limited by how much you want to lug around.
Comment about limited roster field trips.
Please do not accept a spot on a
limited roster field trip and then not show up. This is very inconsiderate to other members further down
the list. If you know you are not going to make the trip, contact the
field trip leader in a timely manner to allow for others on the roster
to move up. Additionally, if you are not on the roster and show up
unannounced the day of the trip there will be no exceptions made to
accommodate you.
Most quarry trips are member only trips and many of them require limited
numbers of people, so I have to maintain a list. It is difficult for me
to tell who is an active DPS member. So, this is the plan:
- The field trip leader will check the name of each person signing up
for one of these trips against the current membership list.
- If you are not on the list, you will not be put on a limited trip
roster.
- You must have been a member for at least 30 days. Even though new
members are anxious but it is necessary to verify your membership.
Especially, if you mail in your application to our P.O. Box.
- This means that I will not accept, "I am joining this month and want
to go" or "I will mail in my membership now so I can go" requests.
- Simply, if you don’t get a newsletter the previous month I will not
put you on the roster for a limited person trip. So, those folks who
were members in January and got a March newsletter you would have be eligible
for the list. Those joining in early February would have to wait until
the next month.
Link to
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