Pierre Shale - Pueblo, CO
This site is on PRIVATE LAND. I was privileged to hunt on the mesa with the express permission of the owner.
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Baculite Mesa
Although on private land, the owner of Baculite Mesa allows collecting for personal use on a limited basis with pre-approved permission.
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Pierre Shale
In this area, the Pierre shale is a loose muddy shale, punctuated outcrops of hard rock.
The terrain is quite barren. Water and sun protection is essential on hot days.
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Baculite Ammonoid
This is typical of the baculite fragments which give this area its name.
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Baculite Mesa
These hard rock formations poke up through the muddy shale and are fossiliferous.
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Bivalves
Some of the outcrops are full of bivalves of several different species.
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Red Outcrop
There are no fossils in the red outcrops.
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Baculite Fragment in Situ
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Another Baculite Fragment in Situ
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More Baculite fragments in situ
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Baculite Fragments of the Pierre Shale
These are the fragments I took home after about 2 hours of hunting. I left many more in place.
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Bivalves of the Pierre Shale
At least three different bivalves are present. The only other fossil I found was a small gastropod in matrix.
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Baculite Mesa
E-Mail me: tngray@nautiloid.net
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