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| Hiking | 2.64 Miles |
1,231 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.64 Miles | 3 Hrs 37 Mns | | 2.03 mph |
| 1,231 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 19 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Its official name is Los Angeles Phoenix Airway Beacon 23, and was installed in the late 1940s.
It is also one of the last airway beacon towers still standing, along with its actual beacon assembly still installed up top. My guess, it's about 60 feet tall.
Visually, Beacon 23 looks like it could be made functional again, with a little bit of "TLC". Obviously, that will never happen, as most all airway beacons are now just historic artifacts from a bygone era. As I mentioned in a couple triplogs ago, search the web for specifics on these beacons.
Beacon #23 is atop 'Airway Beacon Peak', which shows on some maps, but is probably an unofficial name of the peak. It's located in the Dome Rock Mountains, just south of Quartzsite.
Ironically, there is a trail up to Beacon 23. The trail was probably built and designed to have pack animals carry all the tower and beacon parts up the mountain. The trail has a gain of over 1,200 feet in 1.3 miles, and has many switchbacks, assumedly to reduce "pack animal steepness".
In the 1940s through the 1960s, I'm sure the trail was maintained very well, as periodic inspections and maintenance had to be done. After Beacon 23 was decommissioned, (my guess in the early to mid 1960s), trail maintenance probably ended.
The trail is still in OK shape, but the mountain is trying hard to reclaim it.
The trail starts out about two feet wide, then goes to a width of 1 foot further up, especially on the switchbacks.
The trail base is 90% "scree type rocks" - Flat wafers of all sizes.
Ironically, I had mostly good traction going up, as long as I hiked 'flat-footed', forcing my foot down on every step.
Alot of the trail is carved out of the steep sides of the mountain, and 'getting off trail' on the downside would be disastrous.
Also, alot of large and small rocks/boulders have rolled down and now cover parts of the upper trail. All this sounds treacherous, but it's not.
Going down the trail was also OK, but on the narrow, steep parts, I tested every step I took.
Electricity for this beacon came up the mountain on electric poles, and therefore no generator or fuel tanks were necessary up top. No periodic refueling was needed, like in most remote locations.
As mentioned, Airway Beacon 23 is visually in great shape. All it needs is some 'touch-up' paint.
I climbed the ladder just high enough to check the tower's stability. It seems very stable.
I really enjoyed hiking to this historic aviation navigation artifact.
I spent over 35 years as a pilot, flying in the military and as an airline pilot.
I have amazing respect for all those 'night flying pilots' that had to depend on this once, "state-of-the-art" navigation system.
I'm also very happy I had much, much better equipment to guide my way. |
| _____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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