I was aware of an old mica mining tunnel that crossed under a road in NW Habersham County, but when I went there, I found that it had been filled in long ago.   I knew of some old mineral collecting locations (from the 1940s/50s) in the area, but struck out on them also.   With further searching, however, I came across an old mine tunnel.   Reviewing the old reports, I learned that it was dug prior to 1890, "supposedly for copper, according to the oldest resident".

While searching for the mineral sites, I came across a big black bear skull

I came upon what looked like old mine tailings.   Glancing to the side, I noticed a cut in the slope, and as I walked to it, saw this tunnel!

The tunnel floor was sandy and dry, with no footprints. I don't think anyone else had been here in a long time.

The tunnel is mostly through garnetiferous mica schist.

I reached a point where the tunnel took a sharp turn downwards. It appeared that the tunnel had originally continued on straight, but then the miners came back and followed a vein downwards.

After about 50 feet, the tunnel leveled off again, continuing before making a short upward trend.

I periodically encountered small "cut-outs" in the tunnel wall, about waist high, with rounded bottoms.

Maybe they were used to hold mining lamps(?) This one had some old acorn hulls in it.

Just as the tunnel was climbing upward, it ended.

One can still see the marks of pick-axes in the tunnel walls.

Heading back out, I encountered the slope again, going up this time.   It is steeper than it looks in the photo, but at least was dry, so not slippery.

The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Colorful soil layers in the wall. This tunnel was cut through a mix of both soil and hard rock.

Cave crickets on the upper wall and ceiling

This view shows the colorful layers that the mine cut through. Later research revealed that this was known as the Lovell property; the tunnel was dug prior to 1890.

A vein of ? in the side of the tunnel. The old report states "About midway in the tunnel, a thin seam of hornblende gneiss (less than 12") is exposed."

I saw this single Dwarf Iris (Iris verna) while looking around after I was back outside.

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