Questhaven/Elfin Forest Area

[pearsosl]

 :o Please put a stop to all of my high school students' rumors about this place.  I am sure you have heard of it.  Rumors of an old asylum, witches, etc.  Investigate please!
P.S. You guys Rock.

[PPI Karl]

Coincidentally, I've been waiting, myself, on some information about this very location.  One of my students who has done her own amateur work at Questhaven brought it to my attention for the first time last week.  Please tell us more about what your students have reported.  I think we're very interested.

[pearsosl]

Well having never visited the area I don't feel I know very much about it.  And we all know how realiable teenagers are with information so . . . I can only tell you what the kids say.  Supposedly there was an asylum there that burnt down.  I have heard different things about that.  One student said it was various buildings and you can still see the foundations.  Other kids have said it was one big building.
Another thing they say is the usual high school type story that your car will act funny, break down, etc.  I recently saw a video on youtube.com about questhaven where two young guys saw a full figure apparition behind the gates of what looks like the Christian retreat place.  I would like to know more history about that place.  I mean if it has always been a church and the building is not that old I am not sure where this figure comes from.  I teach video production and multimedia and so I was trying to figure out if it was doctored.  I will have to watch again but I wasn't convinced the first time viewing it.  Unfortunately I don't have a lot of free time because of the teaching, but I am very interested in at all.
The forest is called Elffin Forest which has reports of witches.  I would have thought elves but apparently not.  With my predilection to cookies I was hoping they had found the Keebler Tree. ;-)
Please let me know if you guys are going to investigate.  I would love to know more history about the whole area but I can't find much online.

[dwalters]

This is what I found on Questhaven through Shadowlands.

San Diego - San Marcos/Elfin Forest ? Questhaven Asylum - Reports of orbs and an apparition of a man with a missing arm standing behind the gates. IF you want to see the video go to Youtube.com and search questhaven.

And here is the video on YouTube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qFpiVfSlgZM

After reviewing the clip, I came to my own little conclusion. It is obvious that the "film makers" are young and in their teens. They are heading up there on a seemingly long road trip because you can here the driver say something like how much longer and the passenger answers with "we're almost there dude, not much longer" so I'm pretty sure that the anticipation of the drive, mixed along with the myths about the place got put into their psyche that the place "IS"  haunted and they "WILL" see something. You even hear the camera man say "are you scared dude?" and the driver answers with "Yeah, I am a little bit". They approach the gate and flee in fear because they saw a "ghost" behind the gate. I do believe that the ghost in question is nothing but a caretaker, or a security guard. Questhaven is obviously a victim of "urban legend" so young teenage kids probably head out there and cause a lot of trouble. Enough trouble to have a security guard that main entrance gate and probably make his rounds throughout the property. I don't see any ghosts in that video clip...I see a person standing guard by that gate and the kids think that he is a ghost...only because they were "pumping" themselves up to see one.

I haven't done enough research yet to find out about the fires or about the insane asylum, but I did stumble accross this website:
http://www.questhaven.org/retreat_about.htm

I will ask one of our case-researchers to give them a call though, so we can get down to the bottom of it for you. If they are being bombarded with kids like this all the time, it might not hurt to have a team like ours go out and investigate it, and ultimately, put the rumors and urban legends to rest. I don't think it was ever an insane asylum either....that's just one of those myths that shapes up through the years.

On another note, where do you teach your Video Production and Multimedia? I am so curious about this field as I am a Motion Graphics Lead/Video Editor/Sr. Graphic Design Lead where I work. I am always looking to learn more about it. I would like to find a way to make a shift towards Motion Graphics and Video Production for full time work...just don't know how to go about doing it. Also, I might be curioius to find out if you'd like to maybe tackle a side project...and perhaps film us doing what we do someday...and edit it all up...and post it on the web or something.

[dwalters]

Here's another article about the asylum.
http://media.www.thecsusmpride.com/media/storage/paper1149/news/2006/11/07/Features/Experiencing.The.Mystery.Of.Questhaven-2415459.shtml

[pearsosl]

Hi again.  I am teaching in San Marcos.  Don't have much time right now for side projects because I am just starting out with the teaching thing.  Doesn't mean I won't have time in the future.  Plus there are always the summers.  I will keep in touch though you never know!

[amber]

Hi, Karl's student here. Elfin forest contains Quethaven (almost) the forest is on the opposite side of the road. It used to be that you could drive straight up to the rod iron gate with the large Q on it. But now with all of the overdeveloping of the area, you drive to a big road block. I suppose you could make the rest of the trip on foot, but that seems kind of sketchy. However Karl's interest in this has provoked some amateur investigations for my boyfriend and my self. If you go to maps.google.com and type in questhaven rd Escondido ca you can view the road that will take you to the asylum, but this is the road that is blocked. There is one running parallel to it. I am going to try and borrow a video camera from my dad and we are going to drive down that road. If at all possible I will tape it, either way I'll keep Karl posted.
Something that is somewhat known is that some sort of retreats go on at Questhaven. From what I have read the group seems like an occult. The asylum burnt down and then someone bought all the property, which I think includes Questhaven and Elfin forest. When looking at the google maps you can see one large house in the thicket of Elfin forest, surrounding the are symmetrical and evenly spaced objects. There are as well two small guest houses. Someone has to live out there so there has to be a way to get in. Maybe try contacting the religious group to do an investigation that would be more conclusive.

[dwalters]

Hi Amber thanks for signing up to the forums...I'm very interested in this place...so thanks for the info...I will be looking into it as soon as I can. Also looking forward to what you find on your trip there....hopefully you can video tape it.

[PPI Karl]

Amber also did some research for us about Questhaven.  It looks as though it might be possible to request access to the site from the current property owners, which--if we're interpreting all the information properly--appear to be a secular New Age / Christian society:  consciousness raising group that offers seminars and retreats, with bungalows for guests right on the premises.   She was also good enough to come by my office yesterday evening with some maps and suggestions about accessing the Elfin Forrest.  Thank you, Amber.  Your help and your enthusiasm for this case are terrific.

When I get onto my laptop form work, I'll post some links to the sites she brought to my attention.

Just as a side note, House On Haunted Hill was airing on the Sci Fi Channel this past weekend, proof that asylum folklore never goes out of fashion.

[amber]

I have been trying to find more information on the fires that are said to have happened in the 40's burning part of the asylum and killing around 50 patients. However, all that I have found has not been on the reliable side mostly bloggers. The article from CSUSM does agree with some of what I have found, but I was looking more for record type documentation. We will be going on our drive this weekend, so we shall share more info. then. By the way Karl my play is officially in the works this has all given me something to write on

[m1xolyd1an]

I went up there about three years ago or so with a bunch of friends from high school, and we actually spoke to this guard (you see in the youtube video) and asked him if he knew anything about the asylum or where elfin forest was. His answer was "no" to both questions.

Here's my experience:

Who knows if Questhaven has any odd activity no one I know has ever been past the gate. Elfin forest on the other hand, well I had my own experience with that place...  ELFIN FOREST IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, however there are plenty places along the roadside to walk in without having to jump over any fences.  When I went to the Elfin Forest about three years ago, it was around 9-10PM and I parked at the corner of Questhaven and Elfin Forest rd and walked south west towards a pathway leading into the forest. Its a creepy place, everyone who has ever been in that area agrees, there is just something about that place that gives off a creepy aura.

The straight pathway into the forest was lined with trees on each side of the small dirt path. In the distance was a cluster of trees where you could hear running water,  like a stream. We proceeded to walk toward the sound of running water, through the almost knee high meadow area. I could hear a buzz, almost sounded like an electrical box, but maybe it was some insect like a cricket. We continued to walk until about 50 yards from the cluster of trees and started feeling gusts of wind and the buzzing was much louder. Obviously creeped out we started heading back towards the car. Not because we saw anything scary but just the noises and nerves were getting to us.

When walking back through the pathway lined with trees near the entrance is when it all happened. As we walked past the trees the ones we were closest to began to shake. So we stopped, and so did the trees. We looked at each other and stood still for a few seconds and began to walk again. Again the trees started to shake in sync with our footsteps. We stopped again, and sure enough so did the trees. We looked at each other once more and began to run. As we ran towards the street all the trees along the pathway shook violently. We jumped in the car and drove off.

I have yet to return to that forest since then. I never saw anything, but the presence was there and I am positive that the Elfin Forest that night contained paranormal activity. I hope you guys can go check out that area and report back what you find. I'm excited to hear what you paranormal guru's might discover.

[pearsosl]

I just found out that my church is taking people into the Elfin Forest area hiking.  I will have to look to see where they will be heading.  I am sure it isn't anywhere near our area that we have been talking about, but still I thought it was interesting.  Not to mention I could probably use the hike!

[PPI Tim]

Hey Guys,
Here is another one that DAVE forgot about.
Brian J are you taking notes?
Tim