Bradley Butt Mine, Macon County, North Carolina

April 2022

Gate style: BASIC

This abandoned mica mine is in the beautiful western mountains of North Carolina. Unfortunately, we didn’t enjoy the scenery much because it rained most of the day scheduled for the project, including a torrential downpour as we were unloading the trucks. It was so muddy, that the UTV couldn’t even make it up the hill. Luckily, it had a winch! As a result, we didn’t get many great photos. The project was sponsored by the US Forest Service – Nantahala National Forest, with assistance from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. We even got a small part in a larger documentary about North Carolina’s bats and White Nose Syndrome. Check it out here! All photos © Jim Kennedy, except the first, which is © Katherine Etchison.

Oh, so muddy!
Even the equipment got muddy.
Despite the conditions, we got the expanded metal skirt in place, welded the columns to the sills, and began drilling for our anchor pins.
The gate is nearly complete, as the welder secures the torsion bars.
The finished product, with the removable bar removed for entry.