11 
Fernie (Jurassic) 
The lowest part of this formation is exposed along both sides of the 
river half a mile northeast of Bankhead. The formation here consists of 
an alternation of black, very fissile shale and very hard, almost black 
limestone. These form a succession of beds varying in thickness from 
half an inch to several feet. 
Spray River Formation (Triassic ) 
(1) A light grey, very hard sandstone, with a few thin intercalated shale 
bands 100 feet 
The dip changes from 80 degrees west in the upper beds to 40 degrees west 
in the lower beds. This change in dip was noted both along Cascade river and 
the Bankhead-Lake Minnewanka road. 
(2) Heavy-bedded, light grey sandstones, alternating with more thinly 
bedded shales weathering reddish. Both contain black laminae, which in the shales 
are very conspicuous 450 feet 
(3) Dark grey, thinly laminated, calcareous shales, brownish to reddish 20 feet 
These are fossiliferous where exposed iuat south oi the road on a bluff by the 
side of the river. The fossils are very poorly preserved. 
(4) Heavy-bedded, light grey sandstones, alternating with dark, thinly 
bedded shales, the latter weathering reddish and especially conspicuous for their 
numerous black laminae 350 feet 
Many of these beds, especially in the lower half, show minor crossbedding, 
ripple-marks, mud-cracks, and mud-flows. Strike north 53 degrees west; dip 33 
degrees southwest. 
Fossils were very rarely noted in these beds; only a pelecypod here and there 
was seen. 
(5) Light grey, fine-grained sandstone, weathering shaly (Lingula bed) 2 feet 
This layer is especially characterized by a great abundance of Lin- 
gulae and pelecypods; the former weathering bluish, are very noticeable. 
This bed can best be seen on the north margin of the river and also 450 
feet north of the road along the strike of the beds, upon the east side of an 
east and south sloping ridge, bounded on the west by a small swamp and 
on the east by a much larger one. The latter locality is especially good for 
collecting as the bed is well weathered. Ripple-marks are abundant 
both in and directly above and below this bed. 
(6) Dark grey, thinly laminated sandstones, many weathering reddish. 
Many ripple-marks, mud-cracks, and mud-flows present about 500 feet 
About 150 feet below the top a sparse bed of Lingulas and pelecypods was noted. 
(7) Dark grey sandstone and shale, weathering brownish. These are exposed 
in a half cut on the north side of the Bankhead-Lake Minnewanka road „ . 3 feet 
The middle 3 inches especially is full of fossils. 
(8) The upper 27 feet similar to the last and weathering reddish. The lower 
52 feet not exposed here but the contact with the Rocky Mountain quartzite was 
observed in section 3 73 feet 
Rocky Mountain Quartzite (Permian) 
(Beds 18 to end were noted about 1§ miles north along the west side 
of Cascade river.) 
(9) Quartzite. A few angular pebbles up to an inch in diameter were noticed. 10 feet 
(10) Light grey quartzite, weathering white 2 feet 
