This guy is so fortunate to have a G.F who loves the same type of exploration. I'm more fascinated by their interaction than some of the places they visit I've seen many of their locations myself. I hope they do well I love them!
NICE VID! Been there many times, at least 10, on my quad via Last Chance Canyon. Great destination and mid-point stop for lunch. Can't tell you how many times we slammed out heads on the tunnel ceiling on the walk thru, but by the 2rd trip thru, we kept our dirt bike helmets on to avoid the inevitable, but what a view out the other side! 20+ yrs ago, there was an old lady who was supposedly related to Burro Schmidt, or maybe Lee, the partner, that lived in that "cabin group" you went thru. Occasionally got a glance inside - a bit more hoarder than rustic. She would accept "donations" for flash lights to "borrow" before you could walk thru the mine tunnel. Wink-wink mandatory donation that no one would argue with - she was a tough ol' bird, weathered by time like the surrounding desert and she did not take "NO" for an answer. Great thing was, she also accepted beer and cigarettes too so we always stocked up before the 2 hour ride from Red Rock Canyon. She was "eccentric" to say the least, but we loved chatting with her about the good ol' days of Burro Schmidt and we did not hesitate to "donate" when we arrived whether we walked the mine or not - such essentials as flashlight batteries, Jack Daniels and Camel non-filters... to name a few. Can't remember her name or if she ever told us, but we always enjoyed the visit and toasted to her over beers at the next stop...White House Saloon in Randsburg. Amazing and sad how little time it took from that place to fall apart - I have photos of myself there eating lunch with friends, on that little knoll to the left as you drove up, just before y2k and it was intact, secure and occupied. We've also been there in winter on quads and in rails, with a foot and a half of snow on the ground. We saw the smoke from the stack so we knew she was there....we would stuff her "donation box" with "essentials" on the way thru, just because. Good times...thanks for the flash-back!
Similar memories here. We first went there around 2000 after watching an episode of California Gold with Huell Howser on PBS. There was a young man living at the cabin who gave you a little tour and then asked for donations. I was more than happy to donate. What a fun and amazing adventure. It's just a day trip from Bakersfield, and if you're coming from other parts of Cali and want to spend a night, Ridgecrest has great lodging and food. Be sure to head to Trona Pinnacles for more fun and to see some famous movie locations such as Planet of the Apes. Enjoy!
The young man was Dave Sayer, Toni Seger’s sorta caretaker. Lived in a little trailer next to the cabin. Toni’s buried in the cemetery in Johannesburg. Her grave has a bedframe around it. - - kind of kooky-looking, but cool, as graves go. She died in 2003 at 95 years old.
Alot of people kind of poke fun towards what this man did but it took incredible fortitude to accomplish what he did and i think its amazing and he definitely deserves his spot in history
My mom and I visited the Schmidt Tunnel in the late 1950's. We drove through Last Chance Canyon in a 1948 Studebaker car. Was a good dirt road then but was badly washed out many years later. An old guy was living in the oldest ('brown') cabin. I don't remember the other attached cabins. I bought a small gold nugget from him for $2. I later determined its value to be 58 cents (1960's gold prices) I still have it.
Great video! The construction of it is a fascinating story when you realize one man did it himself. I've been camping in this area for 30 years with visits to the tunnel for almost as long. I have fond memories of sitting in Toni's cabin as a kid with a can of ice cold soda from her fridge. Thank you for showing that the tunnel is more fascinating than scary (unlike other videos that clearly play up the "spookiness" for drama's sake).
i went there with my sister in law and a friend who helped Toni maintain the property. we had the wrong vehicle, a ford granada, we were fortunate a couple in a small pickup truck offered to take us up. we had a great time, the place was in amazing shape. have pictures somewhere. thank you for a great presentation!
Toni Sever was not related to Burro Schmidt, but bought it off Mike, the guy who bought it from him (that made Toni the third owner). I was one of the insane people who helped Toni maintain the place for several years prior to 1999. Rodger who by far helped the most there is featured in Huell Houser's Video (look for the guy who looks like a ole' time miner holding a lantern). He is the person I worked with the most there (yes, for free). The mine tracks you see coming out the front portal is thanks to Rodger and me. In the late ninety's we had the tramming system operational, and it made maintaining the tunnel far easier and it was fun to ride though as well. The tracks along with everything else was stolen after Dave left.
Was there a few years back. You came in the easy way. We came from the south, and it was...challenging, even with 4WD and high clearance. There was some sort of critter living toward the end of the left-hand tunnel then, possibly a packrat, by the look of it. Thanks for a chance to revisit with you!
Enjoyed your video. The history of William "Burro" Schmidt's life is quite interesting. There is a lot more history on the tunnel than you mentioned, he dug it hoping for a shorter route to take his ore from his claims to the smelter in Mojave. It was his miscalculation that caused his tunnel to end up as it did. There used to be a caretaker after 1963, Evelyn "Tonie" Seger, until her passing in 2003 at the age of 95. I met Tonie in the 90's, wow, the stories she would tell! Sadly, the area has been vandalized. My last visit was March 2019, and it saddens me to see even more of the buildings in ruin. William "Burro" Schmidt and Evelyn "Tonie" Seger are buried in nearby Johannesburg, CA. They were not related, nor did Tonie know about Schmidt when she bought the property after his death at 82 years old in 1954.
it was burros Sister...NO? My dad and I used to stop there every once in awhile and shot the bull with some lady That was in the early 60's. I was a little boy then
Thanks for the new video . I always enjoy your videos a cant wait for a new one . Your such an enjoyably couple . THANKS Randy I live on the other side of the country and never been to the west coast it looks nice .
Always enjoy your work, well scripted and professional; educational too. For example the maker at 6:16 had as part of the inscription' E Clampus Vitus': (ECV) ( is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area.) Can't wait until the next one. Cheers!
Obsolete to most. But a man found his peace here. His go to, the thing we all do and love which keeps us sane. Some run, some drink, some dig. A labour of love, a mans soul, carved into a rock.
I was there in the early 90's. At the time we rented flash lights from the elderly lady that was living there. Inside the tunnel, I remember old railway tracks still lay on the floor. I have pictures of myself, i cannot load here but it was a fun experience.
Amazing new insights! First read about this guy in the early 60's. And his bout with t.b.. it said that he tunneled through the mountain to get a short cut for his ore which was borax! Then a railroad was built nearby making his tunnel useless at about the same time.
I'm glad you two are well. This is really cool. I love historical things. The little nook was probably a small gold vein. You said he started digging the tunnel as a short cut to haul gold ore. He may have been more interested in his tunnel than striking it rich but everyone needs some bit of money. He probably took small amounts of gold to town to buy things. He probably bought coffee, bacon, sugar etc. Things he wouldn't get in nature. He had to have some money for equipment like the tracking and wheel barrel. Lady Beth, you might have been sitting where hundreds of thousands of dollars (in today's prices) in gold resided! Love the videos and adventures. Y'all Take Care and be safe, John
Such a shame what a few bad folks can do. We visited that place about 18 years ago. Other than a coat of dust, Schmidt’s cabin looked as if he’d only stepped out for a few minutes. There was a caretaker living on the property and he kept it up very well. The entrance to the tunnel was much easier to enter standing up. I heard the caretaker had a dispute with the owners and left, and within a few weeks the place was vandalized and nearly destroyed. Seeing your video makes me want to read up on exactly what happened when the caretaker left.
I have been there several times. Randsburg and Johannesburg were my old stomping grounds when I lived in California. One time, I got stuck out there near Burro Schmidt tunnel. A monsoon started and the dirt turned to clay. I remember hunkering down in that tunnel, waiting for my rescue. Awesome video as always!
Usually these two do better research. I toni seger there in the house she built next to schmidt's shack .. she was blind and had a tweaker for caretaker unfortunately. This was shortly before she died . Schmidt worked warm weather down at various ranches to afford his winters at the tunnel with the wages he made afforded the dynamite, picks and shovels and the meager food rations of aunt jemima
Thank you for sharing your adventure. You two are the best because you tell us interesting facts about the places you visit and also where they are located.
My friend and I went there over 30 years ago. There was an old lady living in the cabin. There was another guy that gave us a tour through the tunnel on a homemade train. It was great. He also drove us to some Borax mines nearby.
''Burro'' Schmidt located a vein of rich Silver Ore on the Western Flank of the El Paso Mountains , and instead of backpacking the Ore over the mountain he decided to cut a Haulage Drift through the mountain . When I was there in 1968 , I was visiting with Mrs. Evelyn A. (Tonie) Seger who was living in the cabin and owned the Mining Rights to the mountain , and a Father & Son mining team from Lancaster (who had gotten a Lease on a Silver Deposit nearby) came by to see Tonie and discuss their plans for Blasting the next day . We were all sitting in Tonie's Living Room , and I was quietly listening to the Father & Son team discussing how they were planning on loading and shooting their Blast Holes . During a break in the conversation I advised them that they were doing it Wrong , and explained to them the proper way to do it . They loudly scoffed at me , what did I a young 22 year old kid know about it (what they didn't know was the fact that I had been working with High Explosives since I was 13 years old) . Without saying a word , Tonie got up from her chair and went in to her Bedroom and came back a few minutes later with a copy of the DuPont Blaster's Handbook . She thumbed through the book until she found what she wanted and then proceeded to read it outloud . Everything that I had said was almost verbatim with the DuPont Blaster's Handbook . The next morning we did it MY way . --- < Doc , Miner for over 50 years > .
I'm looking into getting into mining for gold... my great uncle owned some mines next door to the largest N.A. gold mine... cripple creek. There'd be a lot to learn. Thanks for the info/story
We always have plans to explore outside of California. We're still working on how to make it financially and practically possible. Keep your fingers crossed!
Awesome video! Me and my wife went there like 4 years ago.. such a cool place. BTW.. I love how professional you guys are with microphones on yourselves and also the camera at the 6:25 mark from the inside of the cave pointing out. Great job and thanks for the little history lesson. Keep it up.
Hi guys! This was really cool. I always do my own little research on the places you visit and not sure if you knew, but Schmidt had a cabin in Garlock. When I looked in street view at a place I thought might be his, I noticed a little stone monument/marker on the side of the road. Unfortunately I can't read it, but wondering if it might be something that commemorates Schmidt. There are a few abandoned dwellings nearby, could one of them be his home? Anyway, not like it's "just around the corner" for you, but if you're ever in that area again, check it out and see what it is. It's about 2 miles north east from your Mesquite Canyon turnoff, on the west side of the road. Love adventuring with you! Stay safe! Looking forward to the next one!
Hey, thanks so much for the info! We will definitely check it out the next time (hopefully soon) we are in the area. Sounds like it would be a great find. Stay safe and have a great weekend. :)
Also, suggestion for a place to visit: The underground gardens of Baldasare Forestiere in Fresno. 5 acres of underground gardens. Forestiere's home is also underground.
on second thought, as much as the underground gardens are totally cool, the rules don't lend themselves to filming (I don't believe, but you may have the power of pursuasion). oh well.
It's been years since I read that marker, but I think it just talks about Garlock. There are actually two but I only found info on the official state marker noehill.com/kern/cal0671.asp
It seems like ages since “OO” went on an adventure 😝 missed you Guys😢So Much🌸Between quarantine, riots and humans being barbarians. Thank You for sharing a piece of your research 🤔 My Best always ❤️
Great video! I've seen other videos about this place, but you did the best job to describe the history and showing the map to the mine and also of the actual tunnel. Question: At 5:45 as you approach the opening, a white pickup truck is seen next to a tent thingie. Who was that? Someone charging admission and/or selling something? I may go up there sometime and was wondering.
Thank you! There is definitely NO admission to get into the tunnel. From the looks of the gentleman's tent set up, he had some information for dirt bikers and jeeps who were going through the area. Hopefully you'll get a chance to see it for yourself soon. :)
Drew and Bethany! Another great video! I know you hear this a lot but I have to say I really enjoy your videos! So well put together and informative! I can't wait to get my family out to visit CA! Hoping to see some of the sights you share with us! This one look like a blast! Glad you two are safe and stay healthy! Until next time!
I grew up spending every 3 and 4 day weekend dirtbike riding at red rock canyon. We used to ride up there all the time. There was an old lady that lived in that cabin by herself. She was somehow related to Schmidt. For a dollar “donation” she would give you a cold coke or beer. I believe she took donations to walk through the tunnel too. Very cool place.
That is less than 30 miles from the 7.1 earthquake that hit on July 5 2019. You guys are pretty brave to be walking through that. I would go out around that area a lot with my uncle and dad back in the 90s on our motorcycles or in the Suzuki Samari.
Oddity Odysseys This was my first visit in several years, and it was nice to be back. Place has really changed. I see in your vid that the porcelain frog on a log is still above the tunnel’s entrance. I went may 28, 2020 and unfortunately, it was smashed, shattered into many scattered pieces. The letter reading “this tunnel extends back 40 feet...” was also missing! I’m glad I got a picture on a previous visit! Looks like vandals had been there unfortunately. So sad people can’t respect history or people’s live’s work. Sadder for our future generations. Great video! 👍🏼
I was lucky and weird enough that I went there two times before it closed. While they still had the tiny train on th track. It was so cool. Neat talc mines not far off also.
Another great episode with mystery, beauty, daring, and fun. You are definitely the most under-rated channel on RU-vid by far. Your videos are first-rate productions. Keep it up, Bethany and Drew. Saturdays when Oddity Odyssey posts a new video are always great.
Went out there several times with (Inland Empire 4wheelers) jeep camping in the late 1990's. There was a blind woman living there, She enjoyed cherry pie. The building with all the clippings in it you could walk into, the bush grew some. there was a generator that provided power for the buildings after Mary, I think that was her name, passed a lot of things were removed including the gen. All the damage has been done scene then. The tunnel portal has collapsed to the state it is in now and the ore car rails and ties have been removed, they went all the way through the tunnel. BTW explosives were used during the process. Enjoyed the video.
Guys I really enjoy your exploration and history every time. Not sure if I can ask this here, but how do you guys do the lines on the roads on the maps? Amazing job! Keep it up!
Used to go there all the time in the 70s and 80s with my family back when the old lady still lived there. You had to make sure to hide any sort of BB guns or sling shots because she loved the jack rabbits and was afraid people would be mean to them.
