Friday Sue and I went out on Boulder Lake Reservoir, about a half hour north of Duluth. Here we are monitoring sites on a MN Power reservoir. We usually just measure the shoreline and observe the condition of the site. Whether it has erosion or ground cover. Pretty simple stuff. Anyway, it was beautiful out and was a wonderful day to be on the lake! We visited 10 sites, most of which I had never been to before.
On one site we found a bird decomposing in some grass on the shore. For those of you who don't know Sue, she is a bone fanatic! Everywhere we go we pick up all the bones we can find. She is trying to create a comparative collection so we will be able to identify random bones we find. That was by far the most exciting part of my day, we don't know what kind of bird it was, but it must have been HUGE! The long bones looked way to big to be from a bird. But I KNOW it was from a bird cause parts of it was still there :)
I head out to Baudette on Monday, so no updates for a week. Cheep motel with no internet. But the rooms are gigantic! So all is well.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Mistletoe Creek
And, we're back!
Friday was pretty lame. Steve and I did a Phase I along a stretch of road northwest of Lutsen. The leaves are changing colors, and our drive through nowhere was very pretty early in the morning. But as we started to walk along the road looking for places to shovel test the sky got dark. Then we heard thunder. That means we get to sit in the van. It thundered for probably a half hour, then we have to wait 20 minutes before we can go back to work, according to our "safety handbook" which I have never seen and doubt it even exists. By the time we were going to start working again it began to rain. And since neither of us felt like working in the rain we sat in the van some more.
Finally we were able to do something. It turns out that something was walk along the road. The whole area had a low probability for a site. So we walked to say that we did something. About 5 miles later had made it back to the van. Well, that was an easy day's work.
On our way back to Duluth we stopped at a couple waterfalls along the highway. One was on the Cross River, and I can't remember the other, but it was further north. We also stopped in Beaver Bay at a rock store to see if they had any raw material for knapping. Turns out they only had obsidian, and I wanted something more in the chert or flint type of rock.
Turns out we may end up driving all the way up to Rapid River, by Baudette, on Tuesday, to meet with a MNDoT engineer to discuss the site area and where they are going to disturbing the soil. SO, depending on that meeting, we may or may not be conducting a Phase II up there. Which means digging in clay..... very slow hard work!
Friday was pretty lame. Steve and I did a Phase I along a stretch of road northwest of Lutsen. The leaves are changing colors, and our drive through nowhere was very pretty early in the morning. But as we started to walk along the road looking for places to shovel test the sky got dark. Then we heard thunder. That means we get to sit in the van. It thundered for probably a half hour, then we have to wait 20 minutes before we can go back to work, according to our "safety handbook" which I have never seen and doubt it even exists. By the time we were going to start working again it began to rain. And since neither of us felt like working in the rain we sat in the van some more.
Finally we were able to do something. It turns out that something was walk along the road. The whole area had a low probability for a site. So we walked to say that we did something. About 5 miles later had made it back to the van. Well, that was an easy day's work.
On our way back to Duluth we stopped at a couple waterfalls along the highway. One was on the Cross River, and I can't remember the other, but it was further north. We also stopped in Beaver Bay at a rock store to see if they had any raw material for knapping. Turns out they only had obsidian, and I wanted something more in the chert or flint type of rock.
Turns out we may end up driving all the way up to Rapid River, by Baudette, on Tuesday, to meet with a MNDoT engineer to discuss the site area and where they are going to disturbing the soil. SO, depending on that meeting, we may or may not be conducting a Phase II up there. Which means digging in clay..... very slow hard work!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Lake Vermilion
Hello again.
Well, we just got back from a Phase I on Black Bay in the northwest corner of Lake Vermilion. It turns out that there is A LOT of rock up there. In fact, I had to ask Steve if you actually had to get the shovel into the ground to count it as a shovel test. It turns out that you do...
The lots we were working on had very little potential, again because of all the rock, but there was a small island/peninsula which we assumed would have high probability. Even looking at it from across the small inlet it looked by far the best area for a site.
To get there we had to cross a floating bog. Yeah, scary as hell... Every step is VERY squishy, and there is a ton of vegetation. But we made it across to the point. As it turns out the island was pretty disappointing! We may have been able to get one or two shovel tests in, but we decided that it could wait until today. However, today the construction crew was blasting rocks out of the new road, so we had to leave early this morning. So, a shovel test was not placed on the point.
We ventured around this island/peninsula for a while, and found a plastic and wood bench, a dock, and a boat lift with a boat! How do those people get to their boat? Take another boat? Anyway, we headed back across the bog, and I just about lost a shoe. But not for the reason you think. I had a bull snake slither across my boot, and it scared the shit out of me. Ask Steve, I yelped... Once I figured out that it was just a snake I was all good.
Of course we ate at... Mickey D's. The only restaurant in Cook. Our hotel rooms were pretty sweet. They had a fridge and a microwave. HOWEVER, trains went by EVERY HOUR! Not to mention the train tracks are only 200 yards from my window. I hate train horns! They blast like crazy! Stupid horns!
Today was very slow, we stopped and talked to the land owner, and it turns out he owns a Ford dealership. We are looking for a second field vehicle, so we shoot some bull and look at some SUV's, then head back to Duluth. Checked out some more SUV's at Duluth Dodge, then finally made it back to DAC.
Then all shit hit the fan! A client decided to use another firm to do a Phase II, after they gave us the go ahead. So nobody was happy. THEN a call came in from a company. We had asked permission to be on their land because it is in a project's APE. This company decided they didn't want us on their property because they might develop it. IF THEY DEVELOP IT, they will have to have a CRM firm come out and check their property ANYWAY!!! Oh, and they are on Park Point, and people at Fon du Lac are almost certain that burial mounds exist out there. Even if they don't, there is probably a 90% chance that there is a site there anyway! Well, I guess they will learn their lesson when they have to pay for someone to do it, instead of letting the city pay for it...
Overall, another boring worthless trip.
Heading up north again tomorrow. Apparently to the middle of nowhere, so come back tomorrow to hear about nowhere, and the powerlines that they want to put through it...
Well, we just got back from a Phase I on Black Bay in the northwest corner of Lake Vermilion. It turns out that there is A LOT of rock up there. In fact, I had to ask Steve if you actually had to get the shovel into the ground to count it as a shovel test. It turns out that you do...
The lots we were working on had very little potential, again because of all the rock, but there was a small island/peninsula which we assumed would have high probability. Even looking at it from across the small inlet it looked by far the best area for a site.
To get there we had to cross a floating bog. Yeah, scary as hell... Every step is VERY squishy, and there is a ton of vegetation. But we made it across to the point. As it turns out the island was pretty disappointing! We may have been able to get one or two shovel tests in, but we decided that it could wait until today. However, today the construction crew was blasting rocks out of the new road, so we had to leave early this morning. So, a shovel test was not placed on the point.
We ventured around this island/peninsula for a while, and found a plastic and wood bench, a dock, and a boat lift with a boat! How do those people get to their boat? Take another boat? Anyway, we headed back across the bog, and I just about lost a shoe. But not for the reason you think. I had a bull snake slither across my boot, and it scared the shit out of me. Ask Steve, I yelped... Once I figured out that it was just a snake I was all good.
Of course we ate at... Mickey D's. The only restaurant in Cook. Our hotel rooms were pretty sweet. They had a fridge and a microwave. HOWEVER, trains went by EVERY HOUR! Not to mention the train tracks are only 200 yards from my window. I hate train horns! They blast like crazy! Stupid horns!
Today was very slow, we stopped and talked to the land owner, and it turns out he owns a Ford dealership. We are looking for a second field vehicle, so we shoot some bull and look at some SUV's, then head back to Duluth. Checked out some more SUV's at Duluth Dodge, then finally made it back to DAC.
Then all shit hit the fan! A client decided to use another firm to do a Phase II, after they gave us the go ahead. So nobody was happy. THEN a call came in from a company. We had asked permission to be on their land because it is in a project's APE. This company decided they didn't want us on their property because they might develop it. IF THEY DEVELOP IT, they will have to have a CRM firm come out and check their property ANYWAY!!! Oh, and they are on Park Point, and people at Fon du Lac are almost certain that burial mounds exist out there. Even if they don't, there is probably a 90% chance that there is a site there anyway! Well, I guess they will learn their lesson when they have to pay for someone to do it, instead of letting the city pay for it...
Overall, another boring worthless trip.
Heading up north again tomorrow. Apparently to the middle of nowhere, so come back tomorrow to hear about nowhere, and the powerlines that they want to put through it...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Terms
Shovel test (ST)- a hole about 18 inches in diameter, usually about 16-20 inches deep. Occurs during a Phase I.
Unit - a 1x1 meter square hole that is taken down at a consistent rate. Usually we remove 2.5 inches in a level, 1 inch and 4 inches are also acceptable. Occurs during a Phase II and Phase III.
APE - Area of Potential Effect
Phase I - This is how we test to see if there is a site. We place ST's in high probability areas, usually 5, 10, or 15 meters apart. We then use the positive ST's to determine the dimensions of the site.
Phase II - If a site is unable to be avoided we put in 2-4 units. This allows us to determine if the site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Phase III or mitigation - If a site is found to be eligible, and is still unable to be avoided we then place more units. Here we try to remove as much of the site as we can.
Site - An area where artifacts are found.
Berm- remnants of piles of dirt, from the inside and outside of an old building, that were used to keep out the wind.
Unit - a 1x1 meter square hole that is taken down at a consistent rate. Usually we remove 2.5 inches in a level, 1 inch and 4 inches are also acceptable. Occurs during a Phase II and Phase III.
APE - Area of Potential Effect
Phase I - This is how we test to see if there is a site. We place ST's in high probability areas, usually 5, 10, or 15 meters apart. We then use the positive ST's to determine the dimensions of the site.
Phase II - If a site is unable to be avoided we put in 2-4 units. This allows us to determine if the site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Phase III or mitigation - If a site is found to be eligible, and is still unable to be avoided we then place more units. Here we try to remove as much of the site as we can.
Site - An area where artifacts are found.
Berm- remnants of piles of dirt, from the inside and outside of an old building, that were used to keep out the wind.
September 16th Brook Park, MN
Today Steve and I did a job for the city of Brook Park. They are putting in a water tower, pump station, and a retention pond.
We put in 8 shovel tests in the area of the pump station and retention ponds. All of them were negative. It was a pretty piss poor area for a site. No water very close, except the crappy swamp on the south and west sides of the APE. This made for very wet shovel testing in some gravely silt and sand. We also put in a core test at the west end of the APE of the pump station, as we assumed, the soil was completely saturated and had plenty of redox mottles.
It turned out that the APE for the water tower itself was an ice skating rink. Let's just say the area was a "little" disturbed. In fact, there was so much clay deposited under the rink that it was holding water while we were there. Almost the whole rink was under water, but we did find a couple spots that were high enough to allow for some cores to be taken. Again, very saturated and a LOT of clay! So, it turns out that the second core hole filled with water before we could even examine the stratigraphy!
Let's just say this was a wasted trip, because everything was disturbed. Of course that also made for an easy quick day of work.
Tomorrow and Thursday Steve and I are off to Black Bay on Lake Vermilion. We will be staying in the great town of Cook. So I will write again Thursday.
We put in 8 shovel tests in the area of the pump station and retention ponds. All of them were negative. It was a pretty piss poor area for a site. No water very close, except the crappy swamp on the south and west sides of the APE. This made for very wet shovel testing in some gravely silt and sand. We also put in a core test at the west end of the APE of the pump station, as we assumed, the soil was completely saturated and had plenty of redox mottles.
It turned out that the APE for the water tower itself was an ice skating rink. Let's just say the area was a "little" disturbed. In fact, there was so much clay deposited under the rink that it was holding water while we were there. Almost the whole rink was under water, but we did find a couple spots that were high enough to allow for some cores to be taken. Again, very saturated and a LOT of clay! So, it turns out that the second core hole filled with water before we could even examine the stratigraphy!
Let's just say this was a wasted trip, because everything was disturbed. Of course that also made for an easy quick day of work.
Tomorrow and Thursday Steve and I are off to Black Bay on Lake Vermilion. We will be staying in the great town of Cook. So I will write again Thursday.
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