One Man Spent 38 Years Digging A Tunnel

William ‘Burro’ Schmidt spent 38 years hand digging a tunnel through 1/2 mile of solid granite.

He originally said it was to save time bringing ore to a smelter on the other side of the mountain. So he set off, working almost every day with hand tools to make his dream a reality.

20 years into his work, a road was constructed, making his tunnel obsolete.

Instead of stopping, Schmidt spent another 18 years digging through to the other side.

In the end, he spent 38 years digging a tunnel that was never used to transport any ore.

Shortly after it was completed, Schmidt moved away, selling the claim to someone else.

It was never about the ore. It was about completing a project. Something I resonate with so deeply. It might be easy to say ‘he just dug a hole through a mountain.’ Or you could say “HE DUG A HOLE THROUGH A MOUNTAIN.” I think the world needs more people in the second camp. That find and express their deep passion and purpose, no matter what it is. Those are the types of people that bring others alive. That make dreams feel more attainable.

So thank you Mr. Schmidt. You didn’t just dig a hole to nowhere. You inspired a lot of people, including myself.