[meteorite-list] Grimsby Trip Report Day 4 (a good one!)

From: Mike Bandli <fuzzfoot_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:58:42 -0700
Message-ID: <B5E900D170304CA0AAA359C12635E467_at_Bandli1>

Hello all

Today we did what we set out to do!

Late last night we got an email from Rob Matson, who can only be described
as a half man-half robot juggernaut of number crunching mojo. Taking into
consideration the all-sky camera network, Doppler radar, and jet stream
winds he proffered the simplified advice "Tilt the presumed fall pattern a
bit clockwise." While it was nerve-wracking to wander off the known path, we
had nothing to lose in trying so we set out after a quick stop to re-trace
the steps taken by the scientists at a possible greenhouse hammer location,
where there was a report of a broken ceiling window that coincided with the
day of the fall. We are almost certain a meteorite caused this, but a stone
is nowhere to be found!

Having no luck at the greenhouse, we proceeded to the 'Matson' location.
After hours of searching, we found ourselves footsore and hungry so we broke
from lunch. Arriving back to the spot after the carbs stared kicking in we
walked through a ditch to get back on the vineyard and there it was..a
complete 14.5 gram individual sitting in the dried mud. We had walked past
it on the way out, amazing what a belly full of food and a fresh start can
do.

This makes stone number four with countless man hours spent in the field.
The TKW now totals ~135 grams. With rain on the menu, and snow shortly on
the way, work must be done fast if there is any hope of recovery. The US
hunters are out the door tomorrow and much of the Canadians are headed home
as well.

We gridded like none other the rest of the day, among the vines and Bird
Blasters which are compressed air cannons that resonate like shotguns in
order to keep the birds away from the grapes. They fire and random intervals
and will scare the crap out of you if they go off anywhere near you.

We will hear those cannons tonight. We will see the vineyard rows behind our
closed eyes. We will dream of meteorites.

That was the only find of the day and the Scientists raced out to study our
find. We had much time to discuss the find and the event with Dr. Peter
Brown, Dr. Alan Hildebrand, and Calgary meteoritics student Ellen Millie.
Dr. Brown discussed the successes of the all-sky camera network in
predicting not only the fall area but where it fell from making this "The
most well documented bolide in history and to see the meteorite here makes
it all worthwhile."

It was lobster tonight for me; we all enjoyed an excellent celebratory meal.

Tomorrow is our last day before we out the lovely town of Grimsby in the
rearview mirror.

Here are some more pics:

http://historicmeteorites.com/HistoricMeteorites/grimsby.html

Rob and Mike
Received on Tue 20 Oct 2009 09:58:42 PM PDT