Where do you get the right ammo for hunting fossils?

A while ago, my girlfriend, her mom and stepdad, my roommate, and myself (whew!) went out along an abandoned part of the Spokane River in Riverside Park in search for fossils, having been informed that there are some there. Somewhere. While it was a good time, we were unsuccessful in our endeavors. Since then, I have had the itch to go back and find the darn things! Quite frankly, the only thing I see soft (sedimentary) rocks as good for are: 1) to break in my hands and make me feel like a superhero, and 2) to make structures easier to see. But, I will take an excuse to go to the park and jump around on rocks and logs, especially on a sunny day.

So a couple days ago, my girlfriend and I finally got on it and went back. The drive there, as are many around here, was beautiful. It reminds me of drives my sister and I used to go on all the time. Back when I had more money, gas was cheaper, and I had less of a conscious about the environment. But they are some of the very best times I can remember. If only I could get myself to drive my SUV around just for the heck of it… but somehow whenever I think of it, I have to tell myself how terrible of a person I would be if I did that. Life was so much simpler as a 16-20 yr old. 

There is a small trail that comes off the Centennial Trail and quickly drops you off on the dry river bed, and continues along. Last time we made the mistake of (silly us!) continuing along the trail. This time, the two of us headed upstream, toward what looks like clay/shale layers under the basalt. That should have been a clue last time… yeah. 

Seriously, the area is beautiful. Cold, but beautiful. It seems that little sun reaches areas of the canyon, since there was ice thick enough to hold up fist-to-brain-sized rocks. Did I mention that we have had an unseasonably warm winter this year?

Holy rocks! Floating on water!

The farther up we went, which wasn’t exceptionally far, the more tires there were. I don’t know if they realize it, but if they were planning on going swimming, they chose the wrong place. I didn’t want to break it to them, they seemed so happy and perfectly in place in the middle of the beauty. What makes a place more perfect than a tire graveyard? I really can’t think of much.

Tire dam

I don't know if you can see them, but there are around 7 tires in this picture

Perhaps they came from this car? Maybe it was carrying a whole shipment of tires and they took an accidental detour?

Ouch (but notice there are no tires...)

 Who knows, but these are cool.

mmm

Ha =)

On our way back, we went to better lengths to look for fossils. And guess what! You guess? …We found them. They are mostly plant fossils, and we took two home with us. I broke one of them. And the other, since being home, has dried and is cracking. The clay was interesting. I assume that it’s from that clay layer under the basalt, but it was really soft. You could scrape it with your fingernail. If you are looking, the fossils are in the darker grey/green clay, not the softer lighter clay. That one also has plant remains in it, but they are still fibrous (which doesn’t really count as fossil…). In case you didn’t know already. Which I’m sure none of you do. Unless you do.

(I like her)