BajaNomad

Road to Parque Nacional San Pedro Martir & Observatorio Astronomico

bryanmckenzie - 10-3-2010 at 10:31 AM

The road from Highway 1 between Camalu and Colonet leading up to the National Obervatory is finally all paved and generally in excellent condition. The turnoff is well-marked in San Telmo de Abajo. Storm damage from last winter has left a few windy segements of this road quite trecherous. Repairs were underway in July 2010. Due to the remoteness of the road past the San Telmo Valley and Rancho Meling and the almost non-existent traffic in the San Pedro Martir National Park, bringing in small crews equipment and construction materials means slow progress. Access is open and easy for all vehicles.

NOTE that you cannot access the peak & observatory past the locked gate unless you have an escort from a supervisor at the maintenance yard (usually after 10am). Oh yeah, WATCH THE VADOS (!) going through the farming valley (end of video clip).

Watch this 7-minute driving video clip from campsite at 7,000 feet to almost 9,000 feet and back down to Mex 1.





























[Edited on 2010-10-6 by bryanmckenzie]

[Edited on 2010-10-6 by bryanmckenzie]

BornFisher - 10-3-2010 at 01:38 PM

Cool pics and vid. Thanks!

David K - 10-3-2010 at 06:55 PM

Good job Bryan! Just watched your observatory highway video. If you like "bad-a**" vados, then drive south of San Felipe towards Puertecitos!

Bummer you didn't get up to the end of the road at the telescopes... Big view down rio the desert north of San Felipe and off across the delta to Sonora and Arizona (if clear). You cannot see San Felipe or the Sea of Cortez because Diablo Mountain blocks the view that direction.

Thanks again... love trip reports with photos and details!!!

mtgoat666 - 10-3-2010 at 07:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
NOTE that you cannot access the peak & observatory past the locked gate unless you have an escort from a supervisor at the maintenance yard (usually after 10am).


nice pics.

fyi, you can go up to observatory anytime, if you like hiking. if you park near lower gate, it is a nice hike (no trail) to north and east, then return to your car by walking down the road. good way to spend a full day exploring mtn crest north of the observatories, followed by summiting at the observatories, then walking out via road.

bryanmckenzie - 10-18-2010 at 09:26 AM

Thanks. And you're welcome. I do all my travels with "road" pics and short videos with narration. Glad you enjoyed my video. That was one of my longer ones.
Quote:
Originally posted by BornFisher
Cool pics and vid. Thanks!


[Edited on 2010-10-18 by bryanmckenzie]

TMW - 10-18-2010 at 10:38 AM

Thanks Bryan it's is truly a beautiful place. I haven't been up to the top in 8 years or more and your pictures bring back fond memories.

Baja12valve - 10-18-2010 at 11:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
The road from Highway 1 between Camalrked
NOTE that you cannot access the peak & observatory past the locked gate unless you have an escort from a supervisor at the maintenance yard (usually after 10am).


How and where do you get a escort? Is someone there during regular hours? I plan on going there this Spring, to Picacho del Diablo.

bryanmckenzie - 10-18-2010 at 12:14 PM

In the video clip, you'll see me parked in the high meadow simply amazed at the beauty and utter lack of people and traffic. It is simply spectacular, as you can see in the lebow photo.
Quote:
Originally posted by TW
Thanks Bryan it's is truly a beautiful place. I haven't been up to the top in 8 years or more and your pictures bring back fond memories.


bryanmckenzie - 10-18-2010 at 12:20 PM

Simply stop at the gate where you see my vehicle, or, better yet, there is a small parking lot to the left. Then walk up to the maintenance yard on the right (about 100 meters; see picture) and in your best Spanish as to go to the observatory. Hope that helps, even though I didn't make it up there because it was a Sunday.
Quote:
How and where do you get a escort? Is someone there during regular hours? I plan on going there this Spring, to Picacho del Diablo.




[Edited on 2010-10-19 by bryanmckenzie]

Jack Swords - 10-18-2010 at 03:09 PM

Tommy?

David K - 10-18-2010 at 03:13 PM

I tried that link and my computer about crashed... I am affraid to click on it again, what was there Jack?

bryanmckenzie - 10-18-2010 at 05:51 PM

Hi Jack. Yup. I used the other pen name for GE use only. I decided to create a new pen name for BN. It's actually easier to keep separate e-mail accounts & hard drive files to keep straight where I'm posting what.
Quote:
Originally posted by Jack Swords
Tommy?


[Edited on 2010-10-19 by bryanmckenzie]

bryanmckenzie - 10-18-2010 at 05:54 PM

Hi David. My link? Is crashing your system? It shouldn't. It's simple HTML & JPG's on my owner server.
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I tried that link and my computer about crashed... I am affraid to click on it again, what was there Jack?


[Edited on 2010-10-19 by bryanmckenzie]

Jack Swords - 10-19-2010 at 06:43 AM

Tommy, your link works for me, but the KMZ file for GE doesn't. That is an incredible work by you and should be available! I had posted that link years ago on BN, so perhaps you can get it to work here again. Nice to hear from you again!

My e-mail on BN is fake to deter some monkeys who were abusing the e-mail addresses.

Jack Swords - 10-19-2010 at 06:45 AM

David, get it to work, Tommy does some great stuff and it's on the missions (need I say more?)

David K - 10-19-2010 at 07:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jack Swords
David, get it to work, Tommy does some great stuff and it's on the missions (need I say more?)


Well, I hope the total update of the mission data pages I did recently counts for something!:lol::light:

All the seperate web sites listed below are inter-linkled and can also be reached at http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions

Jesuit Missions: http://vivabaja.com/missions1

Franciscan & Dominican Missions: http://vivabaja.com/missions2

Mission Visitas: http://vivabaja.com/missions3

Baja Mission Site Locator (Google Earth & GPS): http://vivabaja.com/missions4

There are links to the El Camino Real from space posts as well.

David K - 10-19-2010 at 08:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
Hi David. My link? Is crashing your system? It shouldn't. It's simple HTML & JPG's on my owner server.

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I tried that link and my computer about crashed... I am affraid to click on it again, what was there Jack?


[Edited on 2010-10-19 by bryanmckenzie]


Okay, just looked, no crashing today! The GE link was a no go, however.

You must have an over-size monitor at home? Your mission page and your photo posts on Nomad here all require scrolling off to the right on a 15" screen... Nomad asks to limit pixel size to 600 x 800... helps us poor folk to read the forum easier... :light:;D

Jack Swords - 10-19-2010 at 08:12 AM

David, /mission4 looks great! Nice job. Sure would make them easy to find now.

Has anyone photographed SJDD (San Juan de Dias) since the "plowing"? We're heading down to La Paz the end of November, but not going off to check.

David K - 10-19-2010 at 01:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jack Swords
David, /mission4 looks great! Nice job. Sure would make them easy to find now.

Has anyone photographed SJDD (San Juan de Dias) since the "plowing"? We're heading down to La Paz the end of November, but not going off to check.


Yes, ELINESTI8R (David M) has been there and took some pictures and I included his photos on the San Juan de Dios visita page (after your and my photos): In http://vivabaja.com/missions3

If you go back in, see if you can find the location of the building and take photos from the same position (with palms or mountain background) as your or my older photos... For a before and after image. Perhaps print one of ours to imitate?

A Nomad amigo turned me onto a 1973 book with a chapter and photo by Clyde H. McMorrow.

Here is part of a chapter on San Juan de Dios with a photo:

San Juan de Dios. This assistencia was so large that some natives believed it a separate mission. ... When the mission counted its greatest number of converts, the grain and meat produced apparently sufficed to feed the people one ...

David K - 10-19-2010 at 03:21 PM

Jack, so as to not hijack this thread anymore... for the San Juan de Dios photos, I made a new post... http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48543

Mexitron - 10-19-2010 at 07:21 PM

Fun video---thanks for posting...brings back wonderful memories of many drives up to the SPM.

bryanmckenzie - 10-22-2010 at 10:54 AM

Thanks for letting me know. I'll repair the link and reset it this weekend. I think I know what happened. When I moved servers earlier this year, I also changed some folder locations/names. I'll repair the KMZ also and repost it over at GE, too.
Quote:
Originally posted by Jack Swords
Tommy, your link works for me, but the KMZ file for GE doesn't. That is an incredible work by you and should be available! I had posted that link years ago on BN, so perhaps you can get it to work here again. Nice to hear from you again!

My e-mail on BN is fake to deter some monkeys who were abusing the e-mail addresses.