Collecting Fossil Fish in Kemmerer Wyoming

I started my interest in fossils while in a science club in high school in Roswell, New Mexico. We did several trips to collect and I found the shells and embedded crinoids and all those common fossils from the ocean that used to cover the area. My most memorable trip was to ---(now you collectors listen close) Elephant Butte Reservoir. As I remember (40 years ago) we drove around to the backside of the reservoir. There was a very tall cliff and all of the rubble rock that had broken off of it. As we searched the rubble, crinoids and shells began showing up regularly. Being that I didn't have a rock hammer, I went exploring and found an area where there was a thin "skin of fossilized material that peeled right off the host rock. This thin layer contained many Crinoids up to half an inch in diameter and three inches long. The limestone around the crinoids peeled right off leaving only the crinoid fossil. Same for the shells.

Interested- I can't tell you any more. The first-in, first-out-fifty-something-year-old mind just didn't retain the info. If you look at Google map or have topos of the lake, maybe you will see it and enjoy a field trip.

Then head down and catch some white bass and stripers for dinner. What a trip!

Many moons later, after moving to Colorado, we heard about a place that we could collect fossil leaves. We took some vacation and off we went to Douglas Pass near Grand Junction. We headed to the top of the pass where we saw a small equipment cabin with a road leading into the woods. Now my mind's a bit foggy again but we ended up on a ridge where we could see a microwave or radio tower. We stopped by the tower and began checking out the shale. We were quickly into fossils of sticks and leaves although we weren't lucky enough to find that entire maple leaf we were after. Crossing the road from the tower, we saw some green shale and began working over it for more fossils. This is where we found one of my favorite fossil finds.

Holding a fairly thick shale piece in my hand I positioned the screwdriver (didn't have a chisel) and popped it to seperate the layers that held the fossils. There, looking back at me were four bugs. One was obviously a bee, one flying ant, and two were ichnomid wasps. They are those things that look like huge mosquitos. Pretty cool. .

It seems that every mall or tourist spot you go to has one of those rock shops with the huge amethyst vugs and fossil dinosaurs and trilobites. Inside is the kids kiosk with all of the tumbled and dyed stones for a dime each or a dollar a bag.

The other thing you will find is the fossil fish. I noticed on the signs that say where everything comes from (Morocco, Singapore, etc),  that these fish mostly come from Kemmerer, Wyoming, from the Green River formation. Sounded to me like time to go fishing.

The Green River Valley is truly amazing. Antelope were everywhere. The rock formations as we crossed the continental divide were stark but beautiful as if they grew out of the ground like a crystal. Turning north out of the valley, we headed for Kemmerer, "The Fossil Fish Capital of the World"  as spelled out on the sign heading into town. Just a bye and bye- Kemmerer is also the home of the original JC Penney store located on the square.

We arrived early afternoon to arrange our collecting trip----- and everything was closed-- everything! Guess I should have planned ahead, we checked into the local motel and found some brochures on the pay sites for collecting. We were in luck. I called Tynsky's Fossil Fish Tours and made arrangments to go to the quarry the next morning. It is located on a ranch about 12 miles out of Kemmerer. The rules were that we would pay $55 per person and could dig for two hours and keep anything that was not considered rare (like rays and such). At the end we could pick our ten best fish.

After checking in at the ranch house, we headed for the quarry. It was hot out there. TAKE WATER. As we drove up, a couple of the workers were lifting a slab about 4 feet high and three feet wide with most of a huge palm frond on it. They would work to get the rest of it so that it could be restored and sold. After a short lessen we began peeling apart the layers looking for our own fish with some success, I might add. We found the truly frustrating part was when you found half of a nice fish. AArgh. You do that alot.

As it turned out, toward the end of our time, we had several small complete fish and some partials. As we prepared to leave, the workers looked over what we had. Kind of meager I guess, since they took their 6 foot pry bar and popped up a huge section with numerous small fish spread out on it. We were allowed to help ourselves and chip them out. We started to count out our favorites and were told not to bother. Keep all we had. I don't know that they do that for everyone since that isn't the rule, but they did for us.The common fossil fish of Tynsky's are fairly small and the shale is soft and breaks easily. You must be very careful. None the less, we had our first fossil fish.

About a year later, I had to make a solo trip to Oregon and decided to go fishin again on my return trip. This time I decided to go to a quarry that was a little closer to town since I was short on time. Warfield's fossils is located north of town. This time I paid for a half day ($60) and, again after instruction, began collecting. At Warfield's they blast the rock loose and you split the loose rocks. Again, I didn't find anything rare but the rock holding these fossils is a little more substantial and the fish were larger. Be sure to take boxes and newspapers to wrap your finds and no field cleaning. You will find fish that are partially covered by the next layer of shale. When you get these home you can carefully remove this layer with an air pick or a small screwdriver that you gently chip away the excess to release the entire fossil. I will go fishin again. It was a great adventure.

So, if you feel like fishin, head for Kemmerer. Go the the rock shop on the bend, visit the original JC Penneys, Go thoough the little museum on the square, then go fishin. 

Wishing you Treasured Pasts

Stuart