While I typically don't write about work, I spent most of the past week on a field trip to look at outcrops and road cuts in the San Juan Basin. Really, after taking a geology class in college I've never been able to look at a road cut in the same way. It's an excellent way to get some perspective at what is down below the surface of the Earth. As far as working in the industry goes, I've been fortunate to have fields that outcrop in the same vicinity. Although I'd gladly work a field that requires me to travel to Turks and Caicos or Spain like a couple of my coworkers/friends recently did.
The trip would be four days, ten people, and 3 SUVs. Monday morning we all flew into Albuquerque and loaded up to "drive" to Farmington where we spent the first night. And by "drive" I mean we would stop every so often to look at the formations that make up the basement rock to the San Juan Basin. Day 2-4 would be more of the same, but the formations would be ones we produce out of.
I'll be posting a few photos throughout the coming week, but I couldn't not post this one first. On Day 2, we had once again stopped along the side of the road on the way to Shiprock, maybe the Pictured Cliffs hogback? We had walked along the road to look at some of the cross-bedding and other such exciting geologic features. I was heading back towards the vehicles and looking to take a few more photos along the way when I saw it. All I knew was it was a fossil and when I pointed it out to my coworker Valerie she urged me on to grab it. It was a bit of a reach, but I soon had it down and was showing off my find. Evidently it is an ammonite, and quite an impressive one at that with quite the detail and 3.5" x 4" in size.
I realize that a crappy iPhone photo doesn't give it justice either, but it will have to do until I have time to do a better job. I also need to find someone to have it cleaned up and shellacked to preserve it. I should mention that I grew up looking for fossils, agates, yogos, and rocks. Dad even taught me how to pan for gold when I was a kid, so really, while I'm not a geologist, rocks are in my blood.
Beautiful... way to go, you make a geologist proud! *sniff, sniff* In Bako, I would send you to Tim Elam for clean-up, but I don't know whom in Houston.
