First Day Collecting

 

Heather measuring the first boulder. 

Alberto scanning the horizon for where to look next.

Anders collecting a sample

Erratic boulders on the Alberta grasslands

 Off to collect from another boulder.

Hunting for quartzite erratics on the ranch land in Alberta.

After a breakfast at a Humpty’s we were off to our first sight for collecting.  Alberto had been contacting ranchers for permission to collect on their property.  Now the challenge is to find a site where we can get 10 samples.  A sample is from a boulder that has not been moved or shadowed.  That means finding 10 boulders that are at least about 3 feet high and the bigger the better.  Since we are on grazing land, it is certainly most likely that these boulders have not been moved.

No one was home at the first ranch.  At the second we met Mr. Garcia, who gave us permission, and wished us well.  We climbed through several fences and headed up onto nice open ground that looked across valleys to the west to the Canadian Rockies.  In the distance we heard cows bawling down below a broad hill.  Several boulders had appeared on Google Earth so were hopeful.  What a great day; we found 10 boulders across the range land at this site.  The goal for ten is to provide a good data base for each of the sites.  This we accomplished as watched dark clouds rolling in from the mountains to the west. As the dark clouds rolled closer, it was a race against the threatening storm.   Three pound sledge hammers pounded the chisels; thunder rumbled and rumbled.  Yeah, samples collected before the storm.  We headed back to our first ranch and had a short visit with the lady of the house.  She was most interested in the project and offered suggestions and comments on where she had seen boulders.  A successful first day of collecting – 10 samples from one site.