In 1956, as a 15 year old, I lived in Delano, Ca. and was a history buff .I studied the Indians in the surrounding areas and discovered that Black Mountain, an old volcano in the El Paso Mountains had been a scared place for the Indians of a by gone age.

Unable to legally drive I talked my mother into driving the 150 miles to see this mountain. We arrived only to discover that the mountain was big and that no road went to the top.

While we were there we followed the signs to "Burro Schmidt Tunnel". There we meet a most unusual man. His name was Mike Lee.

Mike Lee was an old man by my standards. Somewhere he had lost one arm. He had been a prospector for years. He claimed to have been friends with Burro Schmidt and had taken over the claim upon Burro's death. He lived in a very small cabin next to the museum.
Mike owned an old military ? ton four-wheel drive truck with a scraper blade on the front. He used the blade for road repair, but he also used the blade for prospecting. Ever time I see a place off road that has been scraped; I think Mike Lee has been here.

Contained in the museum and area were a lot of old rusted relics. These were never pointed out to us or discussed as part of the history. The highlight of the museum was Mike's "black light" and the amazing colors that the most ordinary rocks displayed when painted with this light. Mike furnished us with kerosene lanterns and directed us to the tunnel. We were also told by Mike that we were more than welcome to picnic or even camp over night inside the tunnel.

After our walk through the tunnel we returned the lanterns and left a gratuity to show our appreciation.

During 1956 Mike went to Pasadena, married and brought his wife back to the camp. That same year my father and I visited again and Mike was in the hospital. I arranged with his wife to return the following week and help her with the chores. Prior to leaving home Mike wrote me a letter thanking me for the offer, but he had returned from the hospital and was home.

Between 1956 and 1959 I probably made 25 trips to the area, either with family or friends. On half of them, we stopped by the tunnel and probably spent the night in the tunnel 7 or 8 times. It was the coolest place in the El Paso Mountains.

Our last trip was the spring of 1959. On that trip, two others, and myself actually climbed Black Mountain. We found a volcano crater with mud in the bottom and 8 or 9 tent circles left by the Indians where they built rock circles to protect from the wind.

In 1986, after an absence of 27 years, I returned to the El Paso Mountains, bring my wife with me. Again I followed the signs to Burro Schmitz's tunnel.
We arrived and meet Tonie Seger, a feisty little lady.

Tonie was able to fill in some of the 27-year gap.
I was told that Mike Lee and his wife had separated and his wife still lived somewhere in the area.
We learned that Mike had been found dead in his bed.
Tonie told us that she and her husband had gone to a mining claim auction. They bid on several claims and won one. They were shocked and amazed when they discovered that they now had procession of a historical site.

Tonie took us to the old cabin, told the history of the tunnel, and lent us two battery-operated flashlights. We noticed that other cabins had been built next to the old house.

It has now been 19 years since I last visited the "Burro Schmidt Tunnel".

Glenn