SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
If you are an intense collector, you will probably need the heaviest of tools (hammers and chisels) to liberate ammonites from their limestone resting places. Sturdy boots are also a must. You may also want to consider some means of getting your 40# ammonite back up the hill. Some 5-gallon buckets will be provided, but a sturdy backpack or something with wheels may be better for retrieving the larger ammonites. There is a steep, rough ATV road down to the river from the parking area on top of the first bluff. The hike down to the river is arduous and not for the physically challenged as there are lots of loose rock on steep slopes
We will be collecting bluffs 1-2 which should be quite good. Bluff 3 is seldom collected and has huge potential but would require a boat. Please call me if you’d like to give Bluff 3 a try.
Meet at the Oklahoma Tourist Bureau Rest Stop that’s just north of the WinStar Casino on the northbound side of I-35 at 9AM Saturday morning, December 14. Consult your navigation utility to see how long it may take you to get there since where you live in the Metroplex will determine how long it may take. Alternately, a few of us are meeting at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Denton on the east side of I-35 just north of Hwy. 380 (University Dr.), just as you’re heading north out of Denton, at 7:30AM.
No need for reservation or sign-up for the trip, just be either of these two meeting places when you’re supposed to be there. Roger’s cell phone is 972-898-2700, but please plan ahead to join us for access to this site that we’ve not collected in several years. We’ll be accessing the river through very private, gated land so respect must be on the forefront.
This is the link to the Red River gauging station at Gainesville: http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/ok/nwis/rt . Hover over the green dot that reads, ‘Red River near Gainesville.’ We would like the level to be as low as possible – around 8’. You can adjust the time period to view on the graphs by specifying the dates you want to look at. I would suggest looking from Jan 1 to present.
Because these sites are easily accessible by water, please do not front run ahead of our trip as we’re trying to be fair for everyone. Please don’t go up there before the DPS.
*This trip happening is dependent on the water level of the Red River. If headwater rains intensify, the trip could be postponed. We also need tolerable weather conditions on that Saturday. So, EVERYONE, before you head out for the trip, check the Paleo HotLine 817-355-4693 to make sure the trip is a GO. The HotLine will be updated no later than Wednesday evening ahead of that Saturday.
For those interested we’ll have a special lunch at an intriguing local restaurant overlooking the Red River then on up to Ardmore (about 25 minutes north) for a tour of Geological Enterprises, a paleontological museum and store, billed as “pioneers in the fossil industry”. See www.geologicalenterprises.com for more information.
The DPS is a group of professional and amateur paleontologists that want to exchange information, interact, and continue their education in paleontology. We meet once a month on the second Wednesday evening of the month at Brookhaven College, Building H.
