Search and Rescue Report

August and September
SW Washington
Andrew Bland


August and September where pretty busy months collecting for us. We primarily focused on SW Washington collecting in the Lincoln Creek Formation. In August we visited several of our favorite localities in Grays River County, WA, which didn't produce much in the way of crab concretions or any other fossils for that matter. We did however find a few new localities. One location we visited at first didn't appear to be the "classic gray" Lincoln Creek Formation we collect in. The exposure was extensive but we could tell by the color (tan, brown, yellow) that if we did find any concretions they would be softies. On our second trip to the site and finding that the only way to get to the concretions was to dig, we faired well. The concretions from this locality ranged in size from a golf ball to softball in size. Most of the smaller concretions contained Aturia nautiloids but we did find a few crabs.

During September we collected a few creeks in Wakiakum County, WA. The first creek we collected is the only location in Washington that I know of that produces the Ranina ranina crabs. After 2 hours of hiking we made it to the exposure that produces large re-worked concretions. Even through we collect this area often it still produces concretions either weathering out of the exposure or found as float in the creek. On this particular tip I found 5 very nicely preserved Ranina crabs as well as a few gastropods covered in barnacles. It was a bonus trip as near where we parked we found Chanterelle mushrooms growing everywhere and in about 10 minutes I had a few pounds gathered up.

Our last trip into the area was to check out a few new creek locations. One creek in particular flows through, according to my geologic map, the Lincoln Creek formation. It was a great day and a very nice creek with few obstacles but after about 2 miles we didn't find anything. There where concretions but all they contained was calcite crystals. Not wanting to get skunked for the day we dove into another creek and all came away with a few Pulalius vulgaris crabs.

Over and out,

Andrew

Trip Pictures

Portunities triangulum
Portunites triangulum