The day I did this it was overcast so the conditions for doing a video were not that great. So, I just made this one a little more silly while editing it and not something I took too seriously.
Beek's Place (Youtube Version)
Here is one of the local hikes I did back in February. At different times of the year I go out and hike some of the places nearby just to keep in some sort of shape. Normally, they are not worth putting on this blog. The next few that will show up on here in the next month all have something worth noting.
This hike starts in Corona, CA. Technically, if you work it out right, you do not have to hike it. One could take a drive up the dirt road. Once while I was exploring the beginning of this road, I had lots of vehicles passing me up. The trick is you have to be sure the gate is open and stays open when you return. I do not know the details to that, but I know people have had the gate closed on them when they return. There is a number listed on the gate if you get stuck.
The second thing to note is there was a part of the road, that due to the recent rains, really looked split up. You would have to park and continue on foot anyways otherwise risk being stuck in a really bad way. In any case, I intended to walk the whole thing. I cannot remember the mileage or how much time it took me. It seems like a 12 mile roundtrip and maybe a little less than a 2,000 ft. elevation change.
This picture is early on in the hike, but I have gained some elevation. In the background you might be able to see a tiny white round ball-like structure and some trees below it. That is where I ended up.
The video shows more of the I encountered on the hike. It is just a long dirt road that switchbacks a lot then flattens out a bit, but a few uphill portions remain. Here is what used to be at Beek's Place:
Here is what it looks like now:
In the early 1930's, Joseph Beek purchased the land and built a cabin here for his family. It was the family getaway place to spend time at. Vandals have take over and decimated what was once here. The sad thing is I have seen pictures taken in the 1980's which had the structure a lot more intact than what is left.
This is one of the unsolved mysteries that I do not know the answer to. What are these old towers? Supposedly, they did have electricity up here. Maybe this is what helped generate that. This area was also supposed to be a fire look out point. Also, I have read somewhere that this area was used by the military during WW2, but I do not know anymore than that.
Under these towers the initials of Joseph Allan Beek are listed here with the date being 9-26-41.
I will finish this hike up with another blog in a few days. In the meantime, you can check out these few links with give more information on this area.The Mystery Above (O.C. Register Article)
Beek's Place (Dirtopia)
Joseph A. Beek (Wikipedia Article)
