BajaNomad

Comondu Road

TMW - 11-18-2013 at 05:05 PM

Stayed at the hotel in La Purisima last night the 17th and this morning I took the dirt road thru the Comondu's to the San Javier Rd to Loreto. At the jct out of San Isidro, left is to hwy 1 at KM60 and straight is to Comondu it was 8:10am. First 6.5 miles is good graded road. At 6.5 miles I met the grader, dozer and rock trucks working on the road. From here on the road is mostly softball size rocks +/- but very passable with a high clearance vehicle. While I drive in 4x4 when in the dirt it was not needed in my opinion. Mostly a 10mph road with a few detours around washes. I got to the Comondu's at 9:50am. It was 18.5 miles by my odometer.

At the church I met two couples from Canada. Their dog got into a fight with a goat and had upset some locals.

I left the Comondu area at 10:25am. The first .5 miles or more is rougher that anything on the last 18.5 miles. Still no problem. Frankly overall this road to San Javier is rougher in some areas and soother in other area. It is 23.5 mils to the paved road going to San Javier. I got to the paved road at 1:30pm but I also had towed a local rancher 2 miles back to his ranch after his starter gave out.

Time wise I stopped for several pictures on both roads as well as a quick lunch break after the Comondu area.

The paved Hwy to Loreto Hwy 1 is under repair. there are several broken hwy sections and work crews are there working. It is still very passable in a car. I do not know what it is like from the Comondu jct to the San Javier church as I did not go that way.

I'll do a complete trip report when I return next week

motoged - 11-18-2013 at 05:45 PM

TW,
Thanks....I will be riding that area next month again....didn't get enough of La Purisima or Los Comondus.

My riding partner and I enjoyed the motel in La Purisima two winters ago....how was it for you & company?


David K - 11-18-2013 at 05:59 PM

Wonderful report... That means the terrible washouts that Ged and David showed us photos of between Purisima/Isidro and Comondu have been fixed and they are rebuilding the road now. Also good news from Comondu to San Javier/ Loreto highway... What were you driving Tom?

wessongroup - 11-18-2013 at 06:43 PM

You DO get around ... :D:D

Cisco - 11-18-2013 at 06:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by motoged
TW,
Thanks....I will be riding that area next month again....didn't get enough of La Purisima or Los Comondus.

My riding partner and I enjoyed the motel in La Purisima two winters ago....how was it for you & company?




Ged:

If you have room in your pack I'm sure Sr. Gastelum (the chair maker) would really appreciate a double sided stone (coarse/fine sharpening stone).

The one I gave him two years ago is worn thin by now.

And my gracious regards to the Gentleman, he truly is one of humanity's jewels. (maybe you can beat him out of a sip of the fine wine and a tasty piece of the fruit he makes up. Don't tell Shari, she'll have you haulin a case back to BA on the bike).

Hoping you have a truly wonderful trip.

motoged - 11-18-2013 at 07:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cisco
Ged:
If you have room in your pack I'm sure Sr. Gastelum (the chair maker) would really appreciate a double sided stone (coarse/fine sharpening stone).....

I think you are referring to the motel owner....yes? I did not know he was a chair-builder....but he did take pride in his photography :saint:

I will take a two-sided stone.... :cool:

Cisco - 11-18-2013 at 09:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by motoged
Quote:
Originally posted by Cisco
Ged:
If you have room in your pack I'm sure Sr. Gastelum (the chair maker) would really appreciate a double sided stone (coarse/fine sharpening stone).....

I think you are referring to the motel owner....yes? I did not know he was a chair-builder....but he did take pride in his photography :saint:

I will take a two-sided stone.... :cool:


no Ged. In Comondu.

Sr. Gastelum builds his chairs from palm tree trunks.

There is a photo in Shari's excellent "Magical Mystery Tour" thread I think she called it, of him and a chair under construction.

Let me look...Yea, here we go:

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=50474#pid7889...

Sr is about half way down working on a chair.

Thank you for the stone, he could really use it and please give him my best. I was in the white van that parked out in front of his place. Also, he has kid's all over Baja so you may get a referral for camp-out.

Tell him you'll swap out that stone for some of his candied Papaya I think it was. Yum, Yum!

Shari's write up and photos truly are magical, check out the site before you go.

Again, Buena Suerte. Let's not have any of those "staples" pictures. Ugh! Hurts just thinking about it.

TMW - 11-18-2013 at 09:44 PM

I had room 10 closest to entrance. OK but no TV so I sat in my trucck switching between radio stations for the Broncos Chiefs game. The room was clean and cool with window open. 200 pesos.

DK I was driving my 04 GMC Z71. There are some washout bypasses but no big deal. The entire trip was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Lots of abondoned ranchos along the way. On the section from San Isidro to Comondu there is a mtn top with a radio transmitter. look in the almanac it's called C. Pabellon. Just past it maybe a 1/4 mile on the east side is a wooden lookout tower someone just built.

motoged - 11-18-2013 at 11:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cisco

no Ged. In Comondu.

Sr. Gastelum builds his chairs from palm tree trunks.

There is a photo in Shari's excellent "Magical Mystery Tour" thread I think she called it, of him and a chair under construction.

Let me look...Yea, here we go:

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=50474#pid7889...

.


Cisco,
Got it....will do....I remember Shari's post....

If Shangrila exists in its own form in Baja, I think it is Los Comondus.....but I will keep looking :saint:

motoged - 11-19-2013 at 12:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
I had room 10 closest to entrance. OK but no TV ......

Lots of abondoned ranchos along the way. On the section from San Isidro to Comondu there is a mtn top with a radio transmitter. look in the almanac it's called C. Pabellon. .


TW,
Hey, that's the room I had two years ago when DT Bushpilot and i stayed there....David got the TV room next to it as I realized he needed the luxury more than me :biggrin:

And the place with the tower was just south of the area that was washed out...and I am glad to hear that the road has been improved as I will be riding solo there again in January...

The bad spot by tower:


shari - 11-19-2013 at 08:49 AM

Gastelum lives kitty corner to Negrita across from the basketball court and usually has some chairs & planters outside his place. Please give them all a big hug for me and can you fit a few bottles of his wine in your saddle bags amigo? You will be greatly rewarded.

David K - 11-19-2013 at 10:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
I had room 10 closest to entrance. OK but no TV so I sat in my trucck switching between radio stations for the Broncos Chiefs game. The room was clean and cool with window open. 200 pesos.

DK I was driving my 04 GMC Z71. There are some washout bypasses but no big deal. The entire trip was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Lots of abondoned ranchos along the way. On the section from San Isidro to Comondu there is a mtn top with a radio transmitter. look in the almanac it's called C. Pabellon. Just past it maybe a 1/4 mile on the east side is a wooden lookout tower someone just built.


Pabellon appears also on the Almanac folding map:



Here's the 2003 Almanac close up:



The Camino Real mission road is the dashed line that branches away from the graded road at Cerro Pabellon, and heads directly towards La Purisima via San Vicente. You can see it easily on Google Earth as well.