Cecile
06-28-2003, 09:45PM
While Burro Schmidt's Tunnel is not exactly an abandoned mine - but a hand dug tunnel to no where by William Henry "Burro" Schmidt - it is one of the few tunnels or mines I will go in just because I am claustraphobic. At Tonie Seger's Memorial last Saturday, I took my friend Robin in for her first visit. It turned out to be a valuable lesson in mine or tunnel safety, and a reminder that one should never be too self assured when they go in these types of places. I go in the tunnel once every year or so, and have always been able to walk completely through there without worrying about the hiegth as I have always been just short enough to get through without bumping my head. Well, either the rocks to the tunnel grew a fraction of an inch lower in one particular spot, or I grew a fraction of an inch, or perhaps I was walking a bit taller & straighter than my normally hunched over self when I go through.
Robin and I were going through the tunnel with two little boys who were trying to convince us that they did not believe in ghosts. Of course Robin and I talked about old Burro Schmidt's ghost and perhaps now Tonie Seger's ghost haunting that tunnel now that she is recently dead, and we were so busy trying to scare those boys as we went through, & having such a good time doing it, that I forgot any claustraphobia that I normally have, and I forgot to watch where I was going. I suddenly whacked my head! I said something to Robin, who then turned around and put a flashlight on me and asked if I was all right. I said I was a little stunned, but ok, then suddenly, blood started pouring from my scalp, and covering my face. I was a little panicky, as I'm prone to panic attacks anyway, but didn't worry too much, about it. I felt my head and it didn't appear that I had cracked it wide open so I just proceeded on out the tunnel. There at the exit, the two little boys got a good look at me and were scared half to death. I think they must have thought that I had turned in to one of the ghoulies of Burro Schmidt's Tunnel! Meantime, a woman hiking behind the tunnel, saw me and she happened to be a nurse. She cleaned me up with a kleenex she had, and twisted a piece of my hair over the scratch so it wouldn't bleed any more. Another lady came by and she had wet-ones with her and cleaned my face enough that I no longer looked like a ghoulie. An tall older man came through and he had bumped his head a bit, too, but his was not the bleeder mine was. Somebody grabbed the cameras and took pictures of he and I and Robin, but in my excitement, I didn't set mine right and it didn't turn out unfortunately, so I can't share them with you.
Now, if the head wound wasn't enough, after we headed over the hill and got to the dirt road, I decided to take the dirt road instead of the hiking path that crossed it, as I was very familiar with the road, but not so sure of the hiking path. The road turns to a very steep, almost straight up and down hill that is slippery in spots, but from there I could see Roger & Marty sitting at the Forerunner having lunch, so I knew even though it would be slow going down that hill, I was headed in the right direction. Half way down the road I realized that I had my handheld ham radio with me, and radioed the guys to look up at us. Robin and I were tired and a bit shook up from the wound I had suffered, and had drank what little water we had. I asked the guys if they could maybe make it up the hill and save us the rest of the steep walk & a bit of an uphill back to them. The Forerunners wouldn't make it up that road, though, although they have made it down the road many times. So we had to forge ahead, laughing and complaining all the way. Had it been a real emergency, which it wasn't of course, the guys could have gone the long way around and come down the hill and rescued us.
Needless to say, Robin and I got back to the dirt parking lot near Burro Schmidtt's tunnel, and the guys poured water over my head and cleaned the blood from my hair, and I was none the worse for wear. Robin had to go back to the tunnel entrance to hunt down Roger's flashlight which she had loaned to the little boys. The boys were long gone, but had left the flashlight with one of the ladies who had helped clean me up. I guess those boys had hightailed it back through the tunnel in a hurry, scared to death of the two ghostly ladies who had gone through the tunnel with them.
When Robin got back with Roger's flashlight, we decided that if anyone was stupid enough to pick us for the Survivor show, we would be booted off the island before the show got started. But we had an adventure, and we were lucky things weren't worse than they were. We were reminded of some important things, which we knew, but didn't heed - watch where you are walking, carry plenty of water with you, don't forget about the communications you are carrying with you, don't lose your sense of direction, and common sense, and it might be a good idea to wear a helmet to avoid a head wound even when you are familiar with the darned tunnel! Also don't forget to set the camera properly so you can have pictures to prove the whole thing!
Now, if two of us who are experienced and knowledgeable can play around and almost get in to trouble, it makes it easier to understand how desert newbies can wind up in serious trouble out there.http://www.rxtx.com/4wdtrips/forum/emoticons/smashfreakb.gif _________________
Cecile
Cecile
Well behaved women rarely make history-
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Real women shift into 4WD!
Robin and I were going through the tunnel with two little boys who were trying to convince us that they did not believe in ghosts. Of course Robin and I talked about old Burro Schmidt's ghost and perhaps now Tonie Seger's ghost haunting that tunnel now that she is recently dead, and we were so busy trying to scare those boys as we went through, & having such a good time doing it, that I forgot any claustraphobia that I normally have, and I forgot to watch where I was going. I suddenly whacked my head! I said something to Robin, who then turned around and put a flashlight on me and asked if I was all right. I said I was a little stunned, but ok, then suddenly, blood started pouring from my scalp, and covering my face. I was a little panicky, as I'm prone to panic attacks anyway, but didn't worry too much, about it. I felt my head and it didn't appear that I had cracked it wide open so I just proceeded on out the tunnel. There at the exit, the two little boys got a good look at me and were scared half to death. I think they must have thought that I had turned in to one of the ghoulies of Burro Schmidt's Tunnel! Meantime, a woman hiking behind the tunnel, saw me and she happened to be a nurse. She cleaned me up with a kleenex she had, and twisted a piece of my hair over the scratch so it wouldn't bleed any more. Another lady came by and she had wet-ones with her and cleaned my face enough that I no longer looked like a ghoulie. An tall older man came through and he had bumped his head a bit, too, but his was not the bleeder mine was. Somebody grabbed the cameras and took pictures of he and I and Robin, but in my excitement, I didn't set mine right and it didn't turn out unfortunately, so I can't share them with you.
Now, if the head wound wasn't enough, after we headed over the hill and got to the dirt road, I decided to take the dirt road instead of the hiking path that crossed it, as I was very familiar with the road, but not so sure of the hiking path. The road turns to a very steep, almost straight up and down hill that is slippery in spots, but from there I could see Roger & Marty sitting at the Forerunner having lunch, so I knew even though it would be slow going down that hill, I was headed in the right direction. Half way down the road I realized that I had my handheld ham radio with me, and radioed the guys to look up at us. Robin and I were tired and a bit shook up from the wound I had suffered, and had drank what little water we had. I asked the guys if they could maybe make it up the hill and save us the rest of the steep walk & a bit of an uphill back to them. The Forerunners wouldn't make it up that road, though, although they have made it down the road many times. So we had to forge ahead, laughing and complaining all the way. Had it been a real emergency, which it wasn't of course, the guys could have gone the long way around and come down the hill and rescued us.
Needless to say, Robin and I got back to the dirt parking lot near Burro Schmidtt's tunnel, and the guys poured water over my head and cleaned the blood from my hair, and I was none the worse for wear. Robin had to go back to the tunnel entrance to hunt down Roger's flashlight which she had loaned to the little boys. The boys were long gone, but had left the flashlight with one of the ladies who had helped clean me up. I guess those boys had hightailed it back through the tunnel in a hurry, scared to death of the two ghostly ladies who had gone through the tunnel with them.
When Robin got back with Roger's flashlight, we decided that if anyone was stupid enough to pick us for the Survivor show, we would be booted off the island before the show got started. But we had an adventure, and we were lucky things weren't worse than they were. We were reminded of some important things, which we knew, but didn't heed - watch where you are walking, carry plenty of water with you, don't forget about the communications you are carrying with you, don't lose your sense of direction, and common sense, and it might be a good idea to wear a helmet to avoid a head wound even when you are familiar with the darned tunnel! Also don't forget to set the camera properly so you can have pictures to prove the whole thing!
Now, if two of us who are experienced and knowledgeable can play around and almost get in to trouble, it makes it easier to understand how desert newbies can wind up in serious trouble out there.http://www.rxtx.com/4wdtrips/forum/emoticons/smashfreakb.gif _________________
Cecile
Cecile
Well behaved women rarely make history-
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Real women shift into 4WD!