There are five Sharktooth Hill "adventures" listed here at the web site.  Click one of the links above (in light gray stripe) to see what happened on each one.

DANGERS - There are several dangers in the Bakersfield hills.  The most obvious is falling down a hill and breaking something along the way (or during the sudden stop at the end).  If you are afraid of heights, some of the spots where we dig could cause you some anxiety.  Another danger is critters, such as poisonous snakes, scorpions, centipedes and other creepy, crawly things.

Actually, one of the greatest dangers is you.  You must be careful as you dig into the hillside.  If you are lazy, or in a hurry, and don't clear away the material above the fossil layer, you are asking for trouble.  As you are tunneling into the hillside, chasing the fossil layer, the earth above you can be deceptively heavy and unstable.  People have died when the overburden collapsed on them.  No tooth, not even a meg, is worth carelessly risking your life.

Another danger is a sickness called "Valley Fever."  Years ago, it was quite mysterious and deadly.  It can still be dangerous, especially if you are unhealthy and/or you let it progress to an advanced stage (thinking all you have is the flu).  With modern medicine, few die from this illness today, but it can sure knock you on your butt (believe me, I know).  It is caused by fungal spores in the soil.  Here is a link to a more comprehensive study of the disease.

The spores can remain dormant for years.  The danger while digging results from disturbing the top few inches of soil and aerosolizing the spores (allowing you to breath them into your lungs).  Some people wear paper "filter masks" while they dig.  It's not a bad idea, if you are prone to lung problems or have a compromised immune system (AIDS, chemotherapy, elderly, etc).  In spite of the dangers though, most diggers do not wear masks.

After prolonged exposure, there seems to develop an immunity - infections being less likely and/or less severe.  Residents of the area, who have used the hills for years for motorized off-road activities (and have therefore experienced long-term exposure) seldom have problems.  Diggers also, who have been digging for years, seldom have problems.  After one of my first trips to the area, I experience what I thought was a flu.  It was bad enough that I considered seeking medical attention - something I don't normally do for a case of the flu.  In hind-sight, it was likely a battle with Valley Fever.  Returning to dig many times since, I have had no additional problems.

Please be aware of the dangers explained above and heed this warning.  If you chase fossils at Sharktooth Hill (or anywhere else), you are doing so at your own risk.  Don't be paralyzed though, by fear of what could happen.  You take a calculated risk every time you get into a car and hurl yourself down the road at deadly speeds.  I take a calculated risk by going out to "the hill" (as we call it).  My motto is, "If you live life afraid of dying, you're not really living."  As was said in one of my favorite films, "Every man dies, not every man really lives."  Find your passion and take some calculated risks.