Aud & Ben’s Rocks, Fossils, Etc.

🌟 Virtual Field Trip Recap! 🌟

A few weeks ago, my students embarked on an incredible virtual adventure with Ranger John from Fossil Butte National Monument! Despite being miles away, they were stunned by the vast snow-covered landscapes of Kemmerer!⛄️

But the real magic happened when they delved into the world of fossils and ancient history. From the mesmerizing stories of Fossil Lake to uncovering the secrets of prehistoric life, their curiosity knew no bounds! 🌎💡

The best part? This unforgettable experience was absolutely FREE! Teachers, if you're looking to ignite your students' passion for science and history, don't hesitate to reach out to the rangers at Fossil Butte. They can tailor a 30-60 minute virtual field trip just for your classroom! 📚✨

Hey friends! 🌟

Life's been a whirlwind lately with work and family, but we're still at it with our passion for fossils, rocks, and petrified wood! 🦴🔍

Recently, I (Audrey) had a blast giving a presentation about Green River Formation fossils, Blue Forest Petrified Wood, & the Yuha Basin.

Stay tuned for more exciting content and announcements coming your way soon! 🚀

🙏🏻💖 Feeling grateful to have witnessed the incredible sunset during our last night at the lake. 🏔️🌅

This place has a way of making it difficult to leave. 🙁 Much like the fossil quarry, we had to tear ourselves away... 💚

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; there is a rapture on the lonely shore;
there is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more."

- Lord Byron ✍️📖

On our way to the quarry! 🎉🎉🎉

Crossing our fingers for a successful dig! 🙏🏻

Pictures & videos to come!

Just uncovered a fascinating find while digging in the 18-inch layer! 🪰✨ We stumbled upon a fly mortality layer! This fossilized fly is estimated to be around 50 million years old! 🌿🦟

This ancient layer hails from the renowned Fossil Lake, which existed during a time when the Earth looked strikingly different. 🌎💦

The fly layer itself is truly amazing! It's a testament to the incredible preservation that occurred in this unique geological setting. Needless to say, we were REALLY excited by this find! 😍

🎆 Happy 4th of July from Star Valley, WY! 🇺🇸

Today, as we celebrate this special day, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for being an American. Growing up overseas in Saudi Arabia, I witnessed a different way of life, where the liberties and freedoms we often take for granted were not as readily available. It has made me appreciate the opportunities we have in the U.S. even more. 🎇 🗽

Let us remember that the beauty of America lies in its diversity, where people from different backgrounds and beliefs come together as one.
Regardless of our political leanings, let us choose kindness, respect, and understanding. In a world often filled with divisiveness, let us celebrate our shared humanity, and work towards unity. Let us engage in thoughtful conversations, seeking common ground, and building bridges of empathy. Let us embrace the spirit of unity, honor the sacrifices of those who came before us, and continue striving to make our nation an even better place for all. ❤️☮️✌🏻

We know we’re a little late but we hope everyone is having a great 4th!!!

Taking a break to mark some fish fossils!!! 🐟

Thank you for the carpenter pencils .sirs.film & ! They are super handy at the quarry!

If you haven’t seen our friend’s film, “Dear Sirs” yet, you are missing out!!!

One of our favorite views! ❤️

We dream of this place during the school year (no joke)! Summer time = fossil time! ⛏️🥾🐟

We’ve had an AMAZING few days digging at a private quarry with some friends!

And now, it’s time for some night digging!!! 🔦🌙🙌🏻

FINALLY on our way up to the quarry! 🙌🏻🎉

Cross your fingers we find something amazing! 🙏🏻

FYI- we have no reception out there! We will update everyone when we have coverage again!

❤️☮️✌🏻

As teachers 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 on summer break, this is the only type of “work" we want to do!

Super excited to head up to the quarry tomorrow to dig for Green River formation fossils with our friends .fossils & ! We always have the best time! ⛏️🪨🥾

Please cross your fingers that the weather stays nice for us! 🙏🏻

Took a break from exploring the outdoors to visit with an old student who recently graduated & joined the Navy! 🎉🎉🎉

It was surreal to see the young boy I remembered from 4th grade all grown up! Boy, does time fly!
I’m so grateful that I was able to visit with him & his mother as he leaves for boot camp on Monday.

Moments like these serve as a powerful reminder of why I chose to become an educator. There is truly nothing better than witnessing your students flourish into amazing individuals that make a positive impact on the world, the reward is indescribable. ❤️🌎👩‍🏫

Wishing my former student all the strength & happiness as you embark on this new chapter of life!
May your journey be filled with success, resilience, and a profound sense of purpose. Stay safe and know that you’re old teacher is always rooting for you! 💪🏼🎉

We spent the most incredible day at Astoria Hot Springs surrounded by breathtaking views of the majestic Tetons!🏔️✨

There's something magical about soaking in natural hot springs while being surrounded by such majestic beauty. 🌿✨ Nature truly knows how to heal and rejuvenate the soul.

Feeling grateful for moments like these! 🙏❤️

Strongly considering taking a road trip to this campground! We’re obsessed with the show “Skinwalker Ranch” and would love to camp in the Uintah Basin! 🏕️🏔️🗺️

Any takers? Has anyone ever camped in this area before? 🤷‍♀️

About | UFO Valley Campground & UTV Tours, LLC UFO Valley Campground & UTV Tours is the only property with elevated views of what some consider to be the most paranormally-active spot in the country, if not the world.

❤️ On this special day, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing fathers in our lives who have filled our journey with love, joy, and endless support! You have not only been our role models but also inspired us to embrace the beauty of the world 🌎 and explore its wonders, reminding us that there is so much to discover beyond the confines of our comfort zones! Thank you for instilling in us a sense of adventure and igniting a lifelong love for learning & exploration! 🥾🏕️🛶🏔️

🎉 Happy Father's Day to all the incredible dads, stepdads, grandfathers, uncles, and father figures who have made a positive impact, regardless of gender or biological connection; your love and guidance are deeply appreciated and celebrated today and every day.
❤️☮️✌🏻

The lake is calling and we must go!!! 🏔️🌲🥾🏕️

If you don’t hear from us, it’s because we don’t have reception! 🤣

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend filled with lots of laughter & happiness! ❤️☮️✌🏻

💫💎 Dreaming of our next rock-hounding adventure! ⛏️🪨🥾🏔️

✨🌄 Purchasing this claim would be amazing! So tempted to spend our bonuses on this! 🏞️✨

It’s good to have big ambitions, right? 🙏🏻

BOULDER OPAL, Placer Mining Claim, Cedar Rim, Fremont County, Wyoming BOULDER OPAL WMC311931 20 Acre Unpatented Placer Mining Claim on Federal Land Fremont County Wyoming This 20 acre placer claim is located in the precious opal fields up in Cedar Mountain mining district. Opal is rare and when found occurred as secondary vein deposits mixed in common opal. (SAMPLES I...

🇺🇸🎗️ Remembering the Brave and Honoring Our Heroes 🎗️🇺🇸

On this solemn Memorial Day, we honor the courageous soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice and didn't return home. Their unwavering commitment to defending our freedoms serves as a poignant reminder of the price of liberty.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - Ronald Reagan 🗽🗣️

Together, let's strive to create a world where their sacrifice was not in vain, a world that cherishes and upholds the ideals they fought for.

🌹🇺🇸

This is one of our favorite fossils, the Asterotrygon maloneyi. It also happens to be our rarest fossil!

This now extinct genus of stingray lived during the Eocene epoch and was found in the Green River Formation outside of Kemmerer, WY. The A. maloneyi is one of two species of freshwater stringrays from ancient Fossil Lake. They were bottom-dwellers that preferred living in shallower water, near the shore.

I remember finding this on our last day of the season years ago. It was late October (2015, I believe) and we were digging at Dempsey, now the All-American Fossil Quarry with some friends. Ben was racing to split as much rock as possible (without doing a hack job) because it was getting dark and the weather was turning. I didn’t want to get in the way, so I made myself useful by going through the discard pile! All I can say is, boy am I glad I that checked our pile so meticulously-that’s exactly where I found this! 😍

As you can see, the stingray was in several pieces when I found it. But with the generous help & expertise of our good friend, Robert (Wyoming Fossils) we were able to restore it! It now sits on our mantle, a gentle reminder to never stop looking for ‘treasure’ (or at least our version of it).

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

An interesting specimen we picked up while hiking Muggins Mountain. We’ve never found anything quite like this before (at that location). The colors are just so beautiful, photos don’t do it justice!

We cut open more geodes from Wiley’s Well this weekend and were very pleased with what we found! The colors are so brilliant! Next step, polishing!

We’re finally on Instagram!

If you love rocks, fossils, petrified wood, fire agates, etc. then we hope you’ll check our page out! We enjoy sharing our hobbies with others & appreciate the support. Thank you so much to everyone who has encouraged us along the way!

We had a blast hiking around Wiley’s Well last weekend! We’re happy to say that we made it out there 3 times this year, and our trip was certainly worth it! I found the most AMAZING fire agate! 😍 More photos to come!

Some people asked about the size of the fire agate Ben’s working on...

In one hand Ben is holding a fire agate that one would typically find surface collecting (the smaller agate). Now you can see why we have been so excited about our most recent find!

Once you start, you just can’t stop!!!

This is an accurate representation of how our hikes go at times! 🤣

Such a wonderful opportunity!!! This quarry is AMAZING!

Come work for us this summer!
Our American Fossil Quarry is located near Kemmerer Wyoming.
Hourly pay + finders fees & other opportunities to make additional pay.

DM if interested

We had a BLAST at Wiley’s Well last weekend! We were super excited to get out there a 3rd time this season, and we certainly weren’t disappointed!

The highlight of the day was when I found an amazing fire agate in a wash, we veered off the trail and walked as far away from the roads as possible. I found this specimen in a place where the raw material wasn’t as dense, it was more of an isolate per say.

I regret not getting a photo of it before I picked it up! It was just sitting on the surface so beautifully, I was amazed to find such a large specimen (for surface collecting fire agates, it is definitely on the bigger side, for us).

Check out the photos below! Stay tuned for updates photos and videos of the fire agate’s process as Ben polishes it!

This is undoubtedly the fastest way to get me to stop talking! Just dump me out in the middle of nowhere, I’ll be entertained for hours! I am so grateful to share this hobby with my husband. We’ve had such a blast exploring this region since our move back in 2016.

At the end of the week, there is seriously nothing better than roaming the wilderness and soaking in the beauty of nature. Rockhounding is therapeutic, a great escape when your mind is busy stressing about life. We highly recommend it!

Another amazing fire agate we found a few years ago! My husband polished & wrapped it. The colors on this specimen are simply stunning, the photos do not do it justice!

We’ve both been fighting the crud, but are happy to say that’ll we’ll be back at it this weekend! Excited for another trip to Wiley’s Well! Hoping for LOTS of fire agate, geodes, chalcedony roses, & more! Photos/videos to come!