One Man's Legacy: The Burro Schmidt Tunnel

[@storytimedavidcollins2897]

In 1955 my dad and his friends started up the Fontana Land Rovers Four Wheel Drive Club and the first time that we did a run to Burro Schidts mine / tunnel was in the mode 1970’s. His actual daughter was still living there in that cabin that you first went into and we all got to speak with her and I brought a WWI gas mask in excellent shape from her that I still have that was her dads. Her dad who dug out the tunnel/ mine was a WWI veteran and PTSD was not even a word back then, so he dug the tunnels to deal with his PTSD/ depression/ war trauma. And that is the real reason that he dug it / just to dig it and not to transport anything. It’s two separate Or branches because who wanted to make it out to atmosphere before he died or just got to where he couldn’t finish it. The tunnel starts right from the house where you stated and just went out to nowhere back in the mid 1970’s. And that was his and hers true story of why it was dug, to get his mind off of the horrors that he lived through in WWI. When I bought that gas mask from her that was when she/ his daughter got the first idea to start selling stuff because she didn’t really ask for donations and she was barely surviving there. She had a full case of surplus 1903 Springfield rifles from WWI , about 20 and she carried one with her everywhere she went and had to return fire on people that were shooting at her back in the day for no reason at all. It looks like someone has done more work on the mine since we were there back in the day, because there were no tracks in it that I remember back in the mid 1970’s. We went back out there several times between 1975 and 1979 and his daughter was there every time we went. But the last time we went there she had been beaten up pretty badly and was having trouble getting around, she told us that it was because of two hole crapper 💩 hanging out over the edge and it was getting to the point where it was dangerous to use because of wood rot and erosion and it had broken off with two big Mexican guys in it and they barely spoke English and they both bet her up because they felt that it was her fault. She didn’t have any information about them to where we could track them down and set them straight. She had sold off all of the 03 Springfields by then and most of mining stuff to survive by then. That’s been the last time that I was ever there. Anyway thanks to anyone for reading this.

[@calogero_t]

I still remember visiting Burro Schmidts cabin and tunnel in the 1980s with my dad. At the time the cabin was just like Schmidt had left it with all of his belongings and equipment intact. The lady that bought the cabin and camp site, Tonie I believe, gave me and my dad the story of the tunnel and showed us around the cabin. At that point she did have a small donation box. It's a shame to see that cabin in this condition, time and vandals sure took their toll.

[@Bob46374]

Thanks 👍

[@charleyfolkes]

Nice video, and good documentation bc that place is deteriorating fast. Good job. In the early 80’s the property owner and resident in that last cabin, Toni Seger, would tell you a story, rent you a red plastic flashlight or sell you a soda. She came after Burro Schmidt died in the 50’s and is buried in Johannesburg next to him. Another camp nearby, Bickel Camp, was still going early 80’s, old man Bickel, a real gentleman was still there mining and bringing up a new generation of dry wash miners living in trailers on the property. That place is now not occupied full time but is maintained by family and is really 100% intact. Around the corner, on a road exiting to the Garlock / Randsburg road, was a guy from New York, built a pretty big cabin and had was trying to sell Pizza to dirt bikers ! He had signs all over the place ‘pizza’ with an arrow and that’s how you found him, and inside was his mother, making Pizzas ! The desert seems to attract some pretty diverse personalities..

[@8309barbie]

I used to live not far from there. It is truly an accomplishment to know he hand dug that! Great Video!!!

[@WesternMineDetective]

Yeah seriously! Such an astounding accomplishment and a testament of what hard work can do

[@leighsayers2628]

Amazing one man could dig all that .. imagine the wear on the body joints etc ..super humans back then ..tough men .

[@davidsmith31]

The last time I talked to Tonie, the caretaker and resident of the cabin, she had a Jeep Cherokee, a TV, and a .22 rifle. If visitors to the area encroached onto her property, other than by the road, she would send some lead in their direction, as a warning. The next time I was there I heard that she had broken a hip and had to go to town, Ridgecrest. I heard that she got back to the cabin as the visiting nurse that came to see her, after the hip fx. , was the wife of an off road motorcyclist friend of mine that lived in Ridgecrest. There was a resident black Labrador dog that liked to lead small groups through the tunnel. She was a good ole gal. I have, and continue to do so, ridden about 40 miles in all directions in this area by off road motorcycle.

[@MichalOlender]

When Johnny ran after you "where's he going?!" 😆 Looking forward to a ride in that jeep beast! Great video as always!

[@jeffreywhite4962]

thank you for taking me to places I have always wanted to go !

[@imelmedina621]

In that cabin it's amazing how all that old newsprint and adverts. has survived like a hundred years or so. Great explore vid!✌️

[@janblake9468]

In the late 1950's, my adventurous mother and I drove to the Schmidt tunnel in her 1948 Studebaker car through Last Chance Canyon. It was a decent road then. There was an old guy living in the mine camp cabins. I bought a small gold nugget from him for $2 that is now worth at least $50. I still have it.

[@MrJerry160]

thats awesome after the recent rains Last Chance Canyon had sand that was at least a foot deep

[@janblake9468]

@@MrJerry160 Sometime in the early 1990's, we camped at the mouth of Last Chance. The original road on the banks of the canyon was 80% washed out, impassable, but 4x4x's had tried driving in the wash.

[@MrJerry160]

@@janblake9468 I was excited to see the Burro Schmidt tunnel and Bickel Camp but I had dig my self out of the wash twice to turn around and leave. Do you recommend any places close by to check out? Preferably east of Last chance canyon near Randsburg and Red Mountain. I've been meaning to try the 100 +year old Soda Machine at Randsburg General Store but they're closed everything I pass through.

[@janblake9468]

Sorry, I have not been back to that area since. Closest I did were many camping trips around Fremont Peak (SE of Red Mountain) in the 1990's. Explored abandoned mines (they were not gated closed then), watched a comet, climbed to the top, visited the nearby old Cuddeback Air Force target range and base site (have heard this has been closed again), hiking, dirt biking, etc. The main area of my interest during 50+ years of desert exploring was the eastern Mojave.

[@MrJerry160]

@@janblake9468 oh cool. I've always been in awe when I saw Fremont Peak across Cuddeback lake bed. I plan to check it out. Also the plan is to hike Red Mountains Peak to see where I want to explore. If I am not mistaken the Gunnery Range is no longer there. You'll see some bare stripped concrete foundations out and around there but no sign of a base.

[@JOHNDEO-yt5vd]

I'm pretty sure Huel Howser did an episode on this mine (I googled it but couldn't find the episode). Way back in the early 80s. And he interviewed some people that were still living out there.

[@edwardaustin740]

Another great episode. Thank you sir.

[@hamsterman2008]

Well photographed kid . The run thru the tunnels was hypnotic .

[@G18-Adn]

Totally fascinating lads,America it’s not until good citizens like yourself make the considerable effort to make these videos. That little old me in Aberdeen,Scotland get the chance to get a reasonable chance at the sheer scale of your beautiful country. So thanks for the time,adventurous spirit and know what the true meaning of what being an American citizen is. I’m watching this with a few mates and we all think what if that jeep just threw a piston or the sump get ripped apart on a sharp rock. So we’re adding bravery to the list of appreciation,if I were blessed to get to where you’re at the only thing I’d change would be the vehicle,I’d feel so much better on a slightly jacked Land Rover defender short wheel base. That’s nothing against the Jeep’s very capable vehicles but I was in the British armed forces and I have personally driven a defender c/w winch into ,through,up n over and home again in a defender and the there’s every chance that getting some Jeep driving done ,my perspective might well be changed. God Bless you and America,the pain of 22 years ago today is still in mind 🇺🇸🙏🏽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 17:44 Sorry wee edit and a question what’s the venomous anything situation where lads were at ??

[@WesternMineDetective]

Thanks man! Jeeps aren't the most reliable vehicles, but when taken well care of they take you to the best places. My buddy has a 1991 Land Rover Defender and I can see why they're so loved when offroading. Glad you enjoyed this one! And may we never forget the warriors, from 22 years ago 🙏

[@G18-Adn]

@@WesternMineDetective amen to that my American brothers 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Ganiscol]

Thats the funny thing with Defenders, whenever I watch a video with one in it, there is an abundance of UK army men dunking on it for being an unreliable PoS that gets stuck anywhere and all the time and how they only have the worst memories 😅

[@G18-Adn]

@@Ganiscol I have to come to the defenders state of play and what’s true ,what isn’t in the army is their unreliable the RCT ,worked on all vehicles and they were tip top conditions,and mechanically speaking very easy to fix .

[@NaomisAdventures]

That was a cool tunnel. Nice views from the other side

[@ashkash8686]

That is a beautiful yj, sir.

[@JedCurrie]

Good video thanks 👍

[@danielflinn3571]

Thanks boys from Australia

[@OldGeezerstoolbox]

I kept wanting to yell at your buddy to tie his shoe as you guys were trotting through the tunnel (11:40). I guess that means I am old. As always, fun vid for those of us exploring from our Barcaloungers..

[@MrRoughknuckles]

Great video, I like your YJ, great jeep.

[@WesternMineDetective]

Thanks man! It's a great rig for sure.

[@jeffreywhite4962]

Thanks!

[@lindatanner8726]

Very cool!

[@robertmccully2792]

Hard working man!

[@hoseman317]

I can't believe you drove out in the desert with no spare tire!!!

[@hondaman4423]

cool YJ!

[@Justme85857]

Good video

[@ActionAdventureTwins]

I would get bored seeing the same paper scraps every single day. Did the paper scraps get changed out in his lifetime? I really hope they did

[@Ganiscol]

Aww, your buddy had to cover quite some ground on foot, uphill too! 😅

[@WesternMineDetective]

Haha he didn't have to, he wanted to. Was a good workout I'm sure

[@WheelieShinyGold]

I got some cool stuff out here in AZ if you wanna explore it

[@timothydorsey7367]

Another fact is the majority of the interior of the wall we're covered to keep the cold out with thousands of Aunt Jemima box covers it was one of the only things he could pack up there , simple, eats mixed with water

[@gregkingsley3309]

People used newspapers and any form of cardboard for insulation from the cold. My grandmother told me of how they used everyday items to insulate from the cold

[@socalairshowreview7410]

The fence is there FOR A REASON

[@patchmack4469]

hey that be interesting to see the article about Crown Prince opening parliament in the UK 1920 - interesting to see a US report from then reaching the states - crazy how these papers have lasted so long out there in these old shacks ah the old Prunes to keep you regular haha - seems quite odd to cover the inside of your home with packaging, can you imagine doing this with your cornflakes and pizza boxes to keep warm or cool by during the day, might bring the trend back, but gives a great insight to the old fellas diet definitely a bazar back story to the tunnel, i guess if i lived out my days in that kind of environment i too might do something odd like that, perhaps with a little more imagination, develop some mad complex of rooms and levels, open as a hotel its odd when you came out the other side, the hill seems very shallow, like the tunnel was very close to the top making it almost unnecessary in the first place - like the rodents, cute there are some weird little places here in the UK, ancient houses carved into sandstone hills etc, one chap purchased the land and created his own home, it mad but very liveable even with our insane weather systems

[@metingokbulut837]

🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷💯💯💯💯👍👍👍👍 harika bir doğa bunun için teşekürler

[@davidbell9130]

the tunnel man was a little off his rocker

[@timothydorsey7367]

I went there twenty years ago when Tony Seger was still alive . She was blind and couldn't walk but my friend John kittel knew her and introduced me. She is very nice unfortunately she had some sort of a crackhead that had latched on were up there on the middle of nowhere and was living off her social security check and squeezing people to get donations. Some of us tried to call the proper authorities in that departments but they couldn't do anything.

[@kencmorrison6430]

Hey what happened to your Jeep Cherokee XJ?

[@WesternMineDetective]

Still got it. I'm planning to sell it though now that I have the Wrangler

[@mikenutt48]

Looks like everybody and their mama has been in there

[@kenalberg-w8j]

Wonder what they did for food and water.

[@Dee-c1e]

Guys,you said. 1/2 mile thru. I am klostraphobic and it was very closing.

[@IstanbulluIstanbullu]

I ♥️ usa

[@justachipn3039]

🌵🌵💀💀👍👍🌵🌵

[@zoftigbeatnik]

I don't know how good newspaper and cardboard work as insulation.

[@WesternMineDetective]

Me neither! I'm guessing it worked decently considering the summers out here get up to 110+

[@jamesriggsdds2337]

It isn’t. All they had way out in nowhere! At least it broke the wind!

[@GRosa250]

38 years to dig a tunnel from nowhere to nowhere. Talk about a waste of a life

[@jonathondecles9387]

That road is not gnarly I don't even have any ruts

[@Poxabomination]

JDawwwggg

[@WesternMineDetective]

Haha yay it's Julia! Hope ya liked the vid ❤️