I wanted to revisit Cooper's Furnace, but the area was closed. I decided to do some more exploring around Hurricane Hollow. There was considerable prospecting and mining around Hurricane Hollow from the 1840s through the 1940s.   Iron ore was mined initially for Mark Cooper's River Furnace, and considerable manganese was later extracted from the same area.   The ridge west of the hollow near the Etowah River was site of the "Big Ore Bank", and extending for more than a half mile to the north were numerous excavations, with cut after cut and tunnel after tunnel.

Examples of the numerous old mine cuts on the ridge overlooking the Hollow Now much filled in and with walls collapsed...

Huge old tree at mining site near the Big Ore Bank

A section of the Big Ore Bank Manganese is usually associated with the yellow clay seen in the foreground.

Boulders on the ridge

Down in the Hollow:

Section of old railroad spur bed

Remains of structures from the mining operations

I was surprised to find a Soapwort Gentian still in bloom in December!

Boulders and cave along Hurricane Creek

Rock overhang

The "cave in the boulder" from across the creek Natural or man-made?

And the rock overhang from across the creek...

Mushrooms on a log

Along the creek

Stone wall supporting the old RR bed that led to Cooper's Furnace

All Text & Images: Copyright 2015.