BajaNomad - San Jose Comondu lake

San Jose Comondu lake

motoged - 11-26-2013 at 05:08 PM

Nomads,
Google Earth indicates that there is what appears to be a lake NNE of San Jose Comondu. Two years ago DT Bushpilot and I started up that road from Comondu as I mistook it for the road to San Isidro (it was really unpleasant to ride on

).

Dk, you will likely know something about that area as that bad road is one you have mentioned before....i

Does any one have any info on that body of water?

Gracias.

Ateo - 11-26-2013 at 05:15 PM

Planning a return???????????????????

Paula - 11-26-2013 at 05:54 PM

Hacienda Don Mario

I don't know anything about a lake, but I do know that there is a very nice hotel now in San Miguel de Comondu! We saw it on Sunday as it opened for for the winefest. They just (almost) finished it on Wednesday, in time to rent the pretty new rooms for the fiesta. They are gorgeous, very classy,with luxurious bathrooms with hot water, and the kitchen appliances will be installed shortly.

There isn't a restaurant yet, so the owners suggest you might want to bring your food and drink. 600 pesos for two per night, 100p more for an extra person. It is just of the plaza, a beautifully constructed orange building.

David K - 11-26-2013 at 06:40 PM

Yes, it is a seasonal lake... actually more than one. The biggest is called San Julio...

Here it is on the Gulick map of 1962:

On the 2009 Baja Almanac, find it on Map 16, and it shows an airplane symbol on it! On the 2003 Almanac, it is on Map 40, in the lower left corner.

motoged - 11-26-2013 at 09:44 PM

David,
I must disagree.

Spark up Google Earth and find San Jose Comondu (as you scroll in you will see "Comondu" appear in script....and as you scroll in more, you will see "Casa Vieja" appear below "Comondu")

The green water I am referring to is at " 1:00 " o'clock....and at " 3:00" o'clock, a smaller lake/pond/lago.

These are two distinctly separate bodies of water and NOT the dry lakebed you refer to.

The "bad road" out of Comondu I referred to that DT and I turned around on goes NEasterly out of Comondu and goes past the lake and is on the north side of the lake.....or try this (I just figured out how to get co-ords off GE a minute ago):

The bigger lake: 26.142802,-111.774645

Smaller one just south: 26.128817,-111.747093

[Edited on 11-27-2013 by motoged]

[Edited on 11-27-2013 by motoged]

motoged - 11-26-2013 at 10:05 PM

Paula,
WOW !!!! Thanks for that....I was prepared to camp if Dona Negrita (Shari and Juan found her across street from palm-trunk chair maker and that she had a room to rent) was not renting.

Cookies and beer have been the supper for some nomads....maybe the tienda in San Jose Comondu will have a bit more staples for sale.

Ateo, yes I plan on returning by moto second week of January for a few days....just to hang out....and Cisco asked me to deliver a whet stone to the chair maker....so I now have a plethora of reasons to return....now a new hotel...

Ged

Quote:

Originally posted by Paula
Hacienda Don Mario

I don't know anything about a lake, but I do know that there is a very nice hotel now in San Miguel de Comondu! We saw it on Sunday as it opened for for the winefest. They just (almost) finished it on Wednesday, in time to rent the pretty new rooms for the fiesta. They are gorgeous, very classy,with luxurious bathrooms with hot water, and the kitchen appliances will be installed shortly.

There isn't a restaurant yet, so the owners suggest you might want to bring your food and drink. 600 pesos for two per night, 100p more for an extra person. It is just of the plaza, a beautifully constructed orange building.

KurtG - 11-27-2013 at 09:40 AM

Ged, a buddy and I went all the way through that road about 15 years ago with 4wd. Very rough but we made it. I have also flown over that area about the same time and in both cases haven't seen anything like what shows up on Google Earth. The Google images are from 2004 so perhaps there is water only in years with lots of rainfall. That road, according to old guidebooks, was the main route south from Mulege. We did see an airstrip along with the remnants of a crashed small plane. Don't know if that road is doable now, the descent on the north end was very difficult.

Paula - 11-27-2013 at 09:41 AM

Here is even more good news for you, ged... I have a phone number for Jackeline Verdugo Meza, the owner--- 612 12 5 54 74. We didn't meet her, but her husband and daughter showed us a room. You won't believe your eyes-- I won't even try to describe it. Don't share this number too much please, as we are hoping to have two of the three rooms one night in the week before Christmas. And I know that everyone has been waiting for a hotel up there, and it could sell out before we get our reservation!

David K - 11-27-2013 at 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged
David,
I must disagree.

Spark up Google Earth and find San Jose Comondu (as you scroll in you will see "Comondu" appear in script....and as you scroll in more, you will see "Casa Vieja" appear below "Comondu")

The green water I am referring to is at " 1:00 " o'clock....and at " 3:00" o'clock, a smaller lake/pond/lago.

These are two distinctly separate bodies of water and NOT the dry lakebed you refer to.

The "bad road" out of Comondu I referred to that DT and I turned around on goes NEasterly out of Comondu and goes past the lake and is on the north side of the lake.....or try this (I just figured out how to get co-ords off GE a minute ago):

The bigger lake: 26.142802,-111.774645

Smaller one just south: 26.128817,-111.747093

Hi Ged... I wasn't saying San Julio was for sure your lake, it was just one of many and the biggest northeast of Comondu...

Since you provided the exact location, I can tell you that your lake is called Llano la Laguna on the Baja Almanac and is located along the old main road to La Paz (pre 1972). Here it is with your GPS waypoint, along with San Julio and Comondu:

North is at the top, scale bar on the lower left corner.

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 10:41 AM

:lol:

Great intel.....now you can edit your post and remove her Tel # :biggrin:

I won't tell a soul :saint:

....but I will be there around the second week of January midweek

[Edited on 11-27-2013 by motoged]

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 10:46 AM

Kurt,
We only rode several k's north out of Comondu and did not want to continue, not only because it was a bad road, but because my GPS had seduced me momentarily

It would be a hard core adventure even by mule I think.

Quote:

Originally posted by KurtG
Ged, a buddy and I went all the way through that road about 15 years ago with 4wd. Very rough but we made it. I have also flown over that area about the same time and in both cases haven't seen anything like what shows up on Google Earth. The Google images are from 2004 so perhaps there is water only in years with lots of rainfall. That road, according to old guidebooks, was the main route south from Mulege. We did see an airstrip along with the remnants of a crashed small plane. Don't know if that road is doable now, the descent on the north end was very difficult.

Pompano - 11-27-2013 at 10:54 AM

That's great area for arrowhead hunts. Been there, done that. Also another dry lake bed nearer Ciudad Constitution.

David K - 11-27-2013 at 11:14 AM

One thing that is interesting, language wise:

Dry (or seasonal) Lakes in Baja Norte are called 'Laguna'...

The same features in Baja Sur are called 'Llano'.

The big one south of Constitucion is called Llanos Hiray.

Sweetwater - 11-27-2013 at 01:36 PM

If this is the road that you're thinking of taking, it's reported to be about as rough as the road to San Isidro....we rode it in 2011.

It's a rugged road that I don't remember passing any significant water.

We did not ride this one but I think it's your northeast road?

Sorry for the pic sizes but I would have to break links to other sites to change them....
:cool:

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 02:00 PM

SW,
I am not familiar with the location of your top picture, but the middle one looks like it is between San Javier and and San Jose Comondu.. The bottom pic is familiar as it is the way out of Comondu heading north....to a fork up the hill that turns left to San Isidro or right to the "bad road passing the lake"

I am not interested at this time in exploring the bad road more than the several miles DT and I rode two years ago.

This trip I plan on riding the road north into San Javier from the Lopez Mateos junction...and then to Los Comondus for a sleep or two...and then on that bottom pic road to San Isidro/La Purisima....and then back to Mula's guest house.

At least that is part of the plan.

Thanks for the pics....here are some out of Comondu past the cemetary/dump to San Isidro:

That ride report is at:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=666961

Paula - 11-27-2013 at 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Originally posted by Paula
Here is even more good news for you, ged... I have a phone number for Jackeline Verdugo Meza, the owner--- 612 12 5 54 74. ..... Don't share this number too much please, as we are hoping to have two of the three rooms one night in the week before Christmas. .....

Great intel.....now you can edit your post and remove her Tel # :biggrin:

I won't tell a soul :saint:

....but I will be there around the second week of January midweek

Oh, but I can't remove the number from YOUR post

I'll just have to trust my good karma from sharing, and hope that will get us the rooms when we want them! :dudette:

[Edited on 11-27-2013 by Paula]

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 02:18 PM

Removed !!!! :saint:

David K - 11-27-2013 at 02:42 PM

Ged, that 'bad road' north from Comondu, past Llano la Laguna, is the old main Baja 'highway' before the pavement came (using a different route). Between San Jose Comondu and Bahia Concepcion/Hwy. 1 jcn. is the original location of the Comondu mission... called Comondu Viejo after the mission was moved in 1736 (it was founded in 1708).

Here is the location, near Rancho San Juan and labeled with the letter A... and the blue line shows where it moved (to B). I did the same for the two La Purisima mission locations, upper left.

On the 1962 map, Comondu Viejo is shown along the old main road (between San Juan and La Presa)...

Jack Swords took some photos at Comondu Viejo...

GPS: 26°16'27.4", -111°43'08.5"

Howard Gulick did as well... in 1956:

[Edited on 11-27-2013 by David K]

huesos - 11-27-2013 at 06:10 PM

This is a fantastic thread and what makes this site invaluable. The combination of the historic maps and photos bring back memories of crossing the mountains here in the heat of August to get from coast to coast. Thanks to all who posted this material.

Sweetwater - 11-27-2013 at 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged
SW,
I am not familiar with the location of your top picture, but the middle one looks like it is between San Javier and and San Jose Comondu.. The bottom pic is familiar as it is the way out of Comondu heading north....to a fork up the hill that turns left to San Isidro or right to the "bad road passing the lake"

I am not interested at this time in exploring the bad road more than the several miles DT and I rode two years ago.

This trip I plan on riding the road north into San Javier from the Lopez Mateos junction...and then to Los Comondus for a sleep or two...and then on that bottom pic road to San Isidro/La Purisima....and then back to Mula's guest house.

At least that is part of the plan.

Thanks for the pics....here are some out of Comondu past the cemetary/dump to San Isidro:

I think that's one of my favorite spots on the peninsula....I'd enjoy hearing about the plans for your 2014 excursion....and I might wanna join it.

The top pic is the road coming into Comondu, I had to ride it twice after my buddy's subframe cracked and needed welding. So if you were riding from San Javier to Comondu, that's what you'd see coming in.

I'm curious to know where the intersection to the northeast lies. I only remember seeing the road we rode and the road you rode as labelled intersections. The other side roads always seem to end in ranchitos if followed.

Got January dates and what route south are you using? Personally, I really like entering from AZ....but that's just because it has worked so well and seems to land you in San Felipe for the first night. :!:

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sweetwater
..... what route south are you using? Personally, I really like entering from AZ....but that's just because it has worked so well and seems to land you in San Felipe for the first night. :!:

I will be crossing at Tecate on about Dec 16th and mainlining it to Todos/south cape area for about 2 weeks. May have time to drop into BA for a sleep (if not, I will be there later), and need an overnight in Mulege to drop off some 1/2 used 21 and 18" tires and tubes with Willyairsteam's off-road gang.

I am open to others hooking up for some riding....I met DT Bushpilot through BN and he asked if he could join my ride 2 years ago. I don't think he has any major regrets :biggrin:

but he can set you straight on that.

I hope to meet some Nomads for the first time on this trip....and promise to not talk politics or religion :lol:

David K - 11-27-2013 at 09:30 PM

How about that X-RAY photo Ged? It wasn't Dave's bone, afterall! Glad you are not giving up on riding, but like Malcolm Smith you can change, four wheels can be easier on the body, in 'the' Baja! :light:

Sweetwater - 11-27-2013 at 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

but he can set you straight on that.

I hope to meet some Nomads for the first time on this trip....and promise to not talk politics or religion :lol:

I mean it when I say "Thanks"
That is a gracious invite and here come the buts...
Wifes B'day is the 18th and Christmas a week later. Family season for that timeframe, somehow I "heard" January when I'm totally free.....and easy too....

I've been adjusting bikes lately, the '02 GS, '08 Adventure and '08 690e. Are you crating with a bike in tow as alluded to elsewhere?
Living among the Utards means I only rant about politics and religion.... :bounce:

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 11:37 PM

SW,
Yep, 690 in back of pick-up....drive-park-ride, repeat :saint:

I may not be posting pics when down there, but will stay on-line here.

motoged - 11-27-2013 at 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
How about that X-RAY photo Ged? It wasn't Dave's bone, afterall! Glad you are not giving up on riding, but like Malcolm Smith you can change, four wheels can be easier on the body, in 'the' Baja! :light:

David,
I have to ride these bikes for a while yet....they aren't worn out :biggrin:

But my knees and hips are working on it :lol:

And I will spare you the Xray and staples pics :saint:

David K - 11-28-2013 at 10:17 AM

Happy American Thanksgiving amigo! :cool: