My First Fossil

Many years ago, I was four wheeling in Rifle, Colorado in an old (even then) ’72 Jeep Wagoneer I’d bought from my dad.

My Dear Old Dad, who owned that old Wagoneer before I did!

I happened to be going up a fairly steep incline to the north west of town when I decided I would pull over and check out the shale that was scattered abundantly on the higher side of the road, as the other side was an 80 foot cliff to the next switch back of the road I was on.  One particular piece of rock looked like two layers stuck together with one layer missing a small edge.

That shale before I took a chisel to it.

The other edge had a dark leaf looking area sticking out so I took a  hammer and chisel and attempted to separate the two halves and behold, the split revealed a small leaf, I had found an actual fossil.

I was ecstatic!  I had found evidence of past life, who knew how old the shale was, or what type of leaf I’d found, what mattered was the fact I had all of a sudden entered a hobby that would consume my every spare moment for years to come.

After it was split open.
A closeup of the leaf

Since then I have collected in 38 of the 50 US States, I have found fossils on beaches to mountain tops. I have found 200 million year old crinoids to 450 million year old trilobites. I have found 10 million year old wood. I’ve even found fossils in the pebbles we use in landscaping.

Author: Steve

Steve is an avid fossil collector, having collected fossils from several of the lower 48 states, just by pulling over to the side of the road and looking.

2 thoughts on “My First Fossil”

  1. Good Evening Steve,

    This is what I call to be on the same wavelength! I have loved stones since I was a small girl and have collected special ones ever since. Ok, even if we are both on the North side of 60 that does not mean we have lost our curiosity. Besides stones I also love to find “old” things with my metal detector, I just love adventure and finding things.
    In 2016 I was invited to the US. 3Weeks from Denver over Idaho to end in Seattle, I had no bum left I can tell you. I was rock hunting in Leavenworth/WA and saw amazing fossils in the Nat. Dinosaur Park, all very exciting.
    You keep informing on all of this, so good!.

    Regards, Taetske

    1. Taetske, thanks for tuning in, I will let you know when I add more posts to this site, this is a lifelong passion for me, so I welcome friends with the same interest! The route you took certainly had a LOT to see! I would like to see pictures of some of the rocks you have in your collection. Most of mine are obviously from the U.S, but I also have a few from some of the Carribbean islands, and even one from Morocco! Thanks for visiting, I look forward to your visits!

      Warm regards,
      Steve

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