We visited sites #19, 5, and 12. 19 did not yield much, but 5 was especially fruitful. 12 was a beautiful location with very high cliffs, which also made for some climbing.

Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 9 am until we the cows are safely home
Open to All Associated Club Members

Announcing a fossil collecting trip to one or more Pendleton County West Virginia sites:

Here's a look at the Jasper Burns sites selected as candidates:

Site # 5 – In the vicinity of Germany Valley Overlook, Pendleton County, WV
A series of large road cuts on the south side of Route 33, extending for approximately 0.5 miles east and west of the Germany Valley Overlook, 12 miles west of Franklin.

Brachiopods, Bryozoans, Cephalopods, Crinoids, Gastropods, Graptolites, Ostracodes, Pelecypods, Trilobites.

Site # 12 - along Thorn Creek near Franklin, Pendleton County, WV
Road cuts and on the hillside along Route 23, which parallels Thorn Creek south of Franklin. Brachiopods, Bryozoans, Corals, Cystoids, Gastropods, Stromatoporoids, Trilobites, Troglodytes and Byzantines.

Site # 15 - vicinity of Smoke Hole, Pendleton County, WV
One mile north of the town of Upper Tract and 15 miles south of Petersburg, WV,
"This is one of the most beautiful fossil-hunting areas I know, and the potential for exceptional finds is almost unlimited. But collecting is difficult, because most of the rocks are very tough to extract fossils from." (Written 18 years ago)

Brachiopods, Bryozoans, Corals, Crinoids, Gastropods, Trilobites, Neophytes, Plebiscites, IPods and Ichabods.

Site # 19 - east of Franklin, Pendleton County, WV
A fairly large road-cut/roadside quarry on the south side of Route 33, 8.4 miles east of the junction of Routes 33 and 220 in Franklin.
Brachiopods, Cephalopods, Corals, Crinoids, Gastropods, Pelecypods, Trilobites - some pyritized – Arrr, matey.

Site # 31 - near Edinburg, Virginia
A road cut on the north side of Route 675, just east of the intersection with Route 717, 8.6 miles west of the town of Edinburg, Virginia.
Brachiopods, Bryozoans, Cephalopods, Horn Coral, Crinoids, Gastropods, Pelecypods, Trilobites and a partridge in a pear tree.

PLUS!:  To the fourth person to respond; four tickets to the next Pat Boone/Kanye West reunion tour concert within 400 miles of Nome, Alaska. Be the fourth caller now!

Here's the plan: We will meet at the Sheetz station just under a mile west of I-81 in Harrisonburg.

Here's the directions (from I-81 South in Harrisonburg, VA):

Take exit 247B (first exit) to merge onto E Market St/US-33 W toward Harrisonburg Destination will be on the right 0.8 mi

Here's the directions (from I-81 North in Harrisonburg, VA):

Take exit 247B(?) (second exit)to merge onto E Market St/US-33 W toward Harrisonburg Destination will be on the right 0.9 mi

>From there we’ll consolidate and pick our first site.

Standard full dress safety precautions apply.  No exceptions. Here's what you'll NEED:

1: Steel Toed Boots - Little piggy game not possible with fewer than five.
2: Safety Goggles – Less expensive than eyes.
3: Heavy Work Gloves – Gives you that “rugged outdoorsy” look.
4: Safety Helmets - A MUST.  Cranial denting is not attractive.
5: Young Folks - Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.  That leaves out certain of our members - you know who you are.

Additionally - As many of the proposed sites are road cuts - brght colors are suggested.

NOTE:   Severe weather or other crisis out of our control (such as a bad hair day) may result in the canceling or rescheduling of this trip.  If there is any question, please call me to confirm the trip.  Generally, we go unless there is deep snow.

Contact Ted Carver at 703.754.2050 (h), 571.344.4959 (c) or, preferably, email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it