Burro Schmidt's Camp, California

The story of William H. "Burro" Schmidt is one of the Mojave Desert's strangest and saddest. Beginning in the early 1900's, Schmidt single-handedly blasted and drilled a tunnel through a remote mountain in the El Paso Mountains, with the idea of connecting his mine to a mill. Soon the original purpose was forsaken; digging the tunnel had become an obsession. He was featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as "The Human Mole." When the tunnel was finally completed in 1938, it was over 2000 feet long. After 30 years of hard labor, the 68-year old Schmidt abruptly lost interest, sold his claims, and moved away.

The site is on private property. At the time of my visit (1990), for a small fee, one could rent a lantern from the owner and walk through the tunnel. From the end of this "tunnel to nowhere," one can gaze upon the stunning view of Koehn Dry Lake and contemplate the visions that each of us pursue our whole lives.