Dinosaur Dig - Day 6 (Final Dig Day)

Today we started out the day at Pipestone creek dig site this was the coldest day so far with the temperature around the mid 50’s. There was a Canadian morning news show on site they were interviewing Dr. Currie and some other folks involved with the Pipestone Creek dinosaur Museum. Today the Site consists of a visitors center where there are some bones on display, and a complete Pachyrhinosaurus. The Pipestone Creek bone bed is where Dr. Currie and his team excavated some 20 or so Pachyrhinosaurus specimens from these bones they were able to piece together complete models of the dinosaur.
The plan is to build a museum on this site there is a trail with dinosaur markers that lead the way to a dry river bed we follow that till wee get to the bone bed. The TV crew conducts some interviews while we look around for surface fossils. Jerry finds one pretty quick it is a vertebra. Jerry has gotten really good at identifying bone and has made some excellent finds on the dig. He is a really nice guy and has given me some Canadian money to bring back home for my daughter as a souvenir. After Pipestone Creek we set out back to the Wapiti Site. We have brought some guest with us. The owners of property by the Red Willow River site. They have a history with Dr. Currie and used to bring lemonade and treats down to the dig team, and have hosted BBQ’s for them in the past they will have one tomorrow night unfortunately this is my last day here so I will miss it.
They come to the site with their two daughters the youngest who I would guess was around 11 or 12 deftly makes her way down the hillside. We get to the site close to 12:00 so we setup and then break for lunch. After lunch I set out down the hillside below the bone bed to retrieve my bone that fell the other day. Michael belays me down the hillside I find the bone still wrapped and undamaged close to the bottom of the hill. The climb is a fun diversion that warms me up. A little while later Bert shows up on a jet boat with some folks from the Company that has donated the money that will be used to hire the helicopter. They look around check out the site and chat with each of us to see what we are uncovering then make their way back down to the river where the look for surface fossils. I am digging in the mud AKA Wapati Gumbo it is slow process each piece must be rinsed and inspected to determine if it rock or bone. I spend most of the afternoon just finding rock and some small fragments. Then close to cleanup I find two specimens that are collected one that is in a concretion and looks like it might be a limb end. The other is a tiny tail bone from a juvenile; Derek seems rather excited about this one. There are some clouds moving in and it starts to rain although the sky looks pretty ominous it is just a passing shower Nonetheless we do some final mapping and I cleanup it is almost 5:00 and I want to have everything either collected or cleared out for the next person.
Tonight for Dinner we are having a BBQ. Bert who seems to be an avid hunter has brought us some Moose steaks and Venison petite filets that he has hunted and prepared.
Eva has made a broccoli and cheddar quiche afterward we have ice cream and some more Rhubarb crumble. I am sitting at the table with Dr. Currie and I fire off a bunch of questions about Paleontology, Evolution, and Site excavation. Philip, Eva, Michael, Derek, and Robin have all provided us with a great learning experience the team has been generous with information and very gracious hosts.

Dinosaur Dig

Philip and Eva have books about dinosaurs that are great for Kids and Adults alike these can be found at: http://www.troodonproductions.com/