David K - 10-11-2003 at 11:10 AM
Baja Almanac Page 42:
From the first California mission of LORETO to the second, Mision San Francisco Javier, the mission trail utilized the canyon of LAS PARRAS to the
first site of Mision San Javier which today is called RANCHO VIEJO. The modern auto road is built in the same canyon.
One tenth of a mile west of RANCHO VIEJO the Camino Real splits. To the left (south) goes the trail to SAN JAVIER (5.5 mi.). To the right (west) the
Camino Real heads for Comondu and beyond.
On the Camino Real, 1.0 mi. from RANCHO VIEJO the old trail is joined by the Comondu auto road coming from the Loreto-San Javier road (junction at 1.0
mi. past Rancho Viejo).
2.2 mi. from Rancho Viejo another trail joins in from the south. This was the direct Camino Real from San Javier to Comondu, branching from the
Loreto-San Javier trail at EL HORNO (Los Hornoso in the Almanac). This small triangle of trails shows the Jesuits built many roads to offer direct
routes, much like modern highways.
4.0 miles from Rancho Viejo, the Camino Real turns left from the Comondu auto road and follows ARROYO SANTA ISABEL.
Baja Almanac Page 41:
EL PALMARITO is just south of the Camino Real which goes to a visita (visiting station) of San Javier known as Santa Rosalia (renamed Santa
Roasalillita). A stone chapel ruin remained in 1955. Santa Rosalillita is not shown in the Almanac, but the Camino Real is. The old trail goes
westerly for about 5 miles from the edge of the map (just above El Palmarito), then turns almost to the north and goes to QUINI.
The original Camino Real continued north from Quini to San Miguel Comondu (reaches top of Almanac page 41 at letter O, crosses the extreme lower left
corner of Almanac page 40, and reaches SAN MIGUEL COMONDU, on map page 39.
When the newer mission of SAN JOSE COMONDU was moved to just north of San Miguel, the Camino Real was re-alligned at Quini to go more directly to San
Jose Comondu passing between CERRO CAPI and CERRO COLORADO, on Almanac page 40.
TO BE CONTINUED...
[Edited on 10-11-2003 by David K]