Road to Wyoming
Even though Terri Helfer and her son, Nick, spent many vacation hours digging in dirt, the Penn Township duo cherished every moment spent in the hot, Wyoming sun.
For several days in July, the Helfers volunteered on a dinosaur dig with the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, based in South Dakota.
The privately owned institute sells fossils and cast replicas to museums, and once a year includes volunteers at one of its more fertile digging sites.
As with other volunteers accepted to work at the Waugh Quarry, the Helfers learned of the program by word-of-mouth.
"Nick has had a love for dinosaurs for forever," said Terri, who sought to incorporate her 12-year-old-son's interest into their summer travel.
The Helfers learned about the institute last year while vacationing in South Dakota. There, they attended a day outing with PaleoAdventures, which charges tourists to go on guided digs.
Hearing about the Black Hills Institute piqued their interest partially because the volunteer program is not geared toward tourists. Also, the volunteers remain onsite for multiple days, getting a more authentic feel for life as a geologist or paleontologist.To apply, the Helfers had to submit a biographical statement that explained their interest and previous experience. Applicants also submit their desired time frame within the duration of the dig, which sometimes exceeds a month.To serve for a three-day stint in July, the Helfers flew to Rapid City, S.D., about a 90 minute drive from the dig site near Hulett in the northeast corner of Wyoming.According to Sam Farrar, a geologist and field manager at the excavation site, the institute digs on private land through special arrangements with owners. The volunteer program occurs on a 5-acre parcel called the Waugh Quarry, named after the ranch owner.Farrar said Black Hills hosts the volunteers partly because the program represents the mindset of the family-owned business and partly because the rich formation allows novices to experience success."They call it digging, not finding," laughed Farrar, explaining professionals often work in remote places where tedious work can go unrewarded for extended periods."At this particular quarry, we can literally just say to a new volunteer, 'Dig right here and if you are persistent and you keep digging, I guarantee you'll find something.'"
The Helfers arrived in Hulett July 6, but weather delayed digging and prevented access to the site."The first day it rained like crazy," said Nick, adding that the night was spent in a nearby hotel instead of in tents at the quarry.By the next day, the slippery clay that hindered travel in the rental car had dried, and digging could begin.Like all the workers at Waugh Quarry, the Helfers provided their own camping gear. Accommodations onsite included a picnic pavilion attached to a kitchen, where campers pay a modest price for meals and take turns helping with cleanup.Solar panels heat water that is piped downhill to showers, where Terri said water is still chilly unless you get to the shower first.Running water stopped with the showers, as no flush toilets exist at camp. Instead, field workers keep outhouses tidy by regularly pouring lime down the holes.Although many volunteers are veterans from previous seasons, newcomers like the Helfers often receive some basic instruction on how to use excavation tools, which consist of an X-Acto knife, a larger knife for slicing through clay, a paint brush and whisk broom.In addition to the hand tools, a skid loader is sometimes used to skim the ground before digging. Its blade scrapes the surface to detect bone fragments and other fossils while onlookers watch for visual signs.Once unearthed, exposure to the elements causes many of the finds to crack and deteriorate. A special type of strong glue is used to keep them intact, and castings are made on the spot.The tedious digging is done in open spaces, void of shade in the 85 degree sun.Although workers break each day for lunch, Terri said her son didn't make use of the full hour."I might have worked a little longer because I liked it," Nick noted.
Still, the pastime came at a price: Hands became dry from working in clay and backs became sore from extended bending."At the end of the day, my hands were killing me. My back was killing me," Terri said, adding the discomfort was a small price to pay for the rich experience.During his short stay at the camp, Nick worked on uncovering what originally was thought to be a stump, but turned out to be the largest petrified tree the group had ever found.Nick also unearthed a gastrolith, or round stone used for digestion."Animals even today eat stones," Nick explained. "The stones in their stomach are going to help them grind up food because their teeth don't always do the work."Nick's other finds included a vertebrae measuring about 6 inches by 10 inches. Although the crew was unable to confirm the vertebrae's origin while on the dig, they speculated the source as a barosaurus.Although found fossils typically remain with the institute, Nick was able to return home with a fossil that was too deteriorated to be of museum quality."It had rolled into a stream bed," Terri Helfer said of the water-worn treasure, thought to be a vertebrae.Nick also worked with Black Hills president Peter Larson to make castings of his find.Although youths often attend the digs, Nick was among just a handful during that week, when field workers consisted of seven or eight Black Hills personnel and about 15 volunteers."We very often have parents that bring their kids who are very excited and enthusiastic about dinosaurs," Farrar said. "They are knowledgeable about the topic in general and are coming here to learn something hands-on."Of those, some embrace the field work while others quickly lose interest."I would not recommend it to lazy people," Nick said. "You do need to do a lot of work, and there's a lot expected of you."The Helfers said fun was also part of the experience, which they followed with some sightseeing before returning home.In all settings, the West was a worthwhile trip."There's no pollution. There are three times as many stars in they sky, and everybody's calm," Nick said."It's really peaceful out there."
