El Paso Mountains, Explorers Trek - "current state was so disheartening"

 Our group rallied in Mojave, drove north to the El Paso Mountains and then into Mesquite Canyon.

After visiting the College Girl adit and the site of Della Gerbracht's cabin we drove on to the Burro Schmidt Tunnel.

  The current state of Schmidt's cabin and Toni Seger's house was so disheartening that I didn't take any photographs. Tonie Evelyn Seger and her husband, purchased the tunnel and surrounding land in 1963. She passed May 30th, 2009.

 We walked up the road to Mr. Schmidt's accomplishment. The tunnel is 2,087 feet long and took Burro Schmidt 32 years to dig. He finished the tunnel in 1938 and it has been estimated that he moved 5,800 tons of rock. Schmidt died in 1954 at the age of 83.

 Everyone enjoyed the long cool walk through the tunnel.

 We drove on to Bickel Camp. Walter Bickel lived here for more than 55 years. In the foreground is Larry O'Neil's International Scout. Years ago, I visited Larry after his Scout was stolen. It was found hours after the theft in Mesquite Canyon with a flat tire. Several months ago I was told that Larry passed in April of 2011. More about Walter Bickel here.

 Our caravan departed Bickel Camp and drove down Last Chance Canyon, up and out of the canyon and then west to our next destination.

Looking east at the upper reaches of Last Chance Canyon. Black Mountain in the upper left corner of the photo. Climbed it in 1995.

 Pumicite or as old commercials once reported, "Seismotite."

 Looking south into Last Chance Canyon.

 A favorite 4x4 road is now closed.

 We stopped at a remote rock pile and made a contribution.

Some of our companions drove home while the rest of us set up camp and gathered around a campfire.

Sunday afternoon we punched a couple of pinholes in a piece of paper and viewed the annular eclipse.