I've been chomping at the bit to get out locally to do some fossil hunting here in Clallam County on our Strait of Juan de Fuca beaches and planned on visiting one of my old favorite localities. The problem was, I wasn't sure I'd reach the beach! A few years back, a massive landslide partially destroyed my trail, making for a much tougher descent down to the beach. Now, overgrown by a thick barrier of thorny plants as a near-impenetrable wall of ickyness, I'd have to find/fight a way through if I was going to reach the beach.
I'm not sure how long it took, but the sweat was freely flowing by the time I first caught sight of the beach. It'd been a battle, but it was sure nice to see the water and the beach proper... like seeing an old dear friend whom I've sorely missed.
Down on the beach, the waves lapping at my feet, the Gulls crying from further out beyond the surf, thick in the midst of the stench of decaying seaweed sweetly accented by the tangy smell of the saltwater, I knew I'd made it, that my every straining effort had been worth it... there were fossils out there just a' waiting and I wasn't about to disappoint!
As I walked, I constantly cast my eyes about, always alert for any sign of treasure. And it wasn't long before neat little goodies started to appear, crystals first and then after, the fossils started to make an appearance. Smiling, it was good to be back!
About me, and reflecting the cold wet conditions we'd been enduring of late, many sections of bluff were decorated by bright white ice flows, some quite impressive and picturesque. One had ice-cycles nearly a dozen feet long which made for a wonderful photo.
As I neared the area of my focus, I slowed down my advance and really began to systematically scan the ground about me for treasure, the rarest of which are fossil starfish and soon, my search was rewarded as I spied a soft brown colored streak along the edge of one blocks side, upon closer examination, the distinct form of an Oligocene starfish was revealed. I was thrilled, finding one of the sea's most rare fossils!
I also found a wonderful large exposure of fossilized wood. It was compressed into a flat sheet-like shape encapsulated within the clay and was over six feet long and near four wide. Much of the logs outer surface was coated by fossil barnacles.
After some time, I decided to try another section of beach and was soon on my way to it. Once there, I shouldered my pack and once again, I was looking for treasure! I found my first fossil soon thereafter, this another piece of wood still partially encased in rock.
My final discovery was a large fossilized whale vertebra. It's about 4 inches tall and three across.
Thanks for coming along and sharing in the fun. We are all so fortunate to be surrounded by the enchanting World of Nature, for one, I'm glad I get it. I promise, it won't be long before next I set my steps towards treasure again, the greatest of all being the simple experience of just getting out. Come on, let's go play...
As a last thought, the following two photos, while of specimens collected from this locality, these were not collected during this trip. Still, I hope you enjoy! The first photo offers a selection of crystals, pseudomorphs of calcite after ikaite, followed by a second photo, this one an exceptional example of fossil starfish.
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