BajaNomad

San Jose De comondu Camping

Ribbonslinger - 12-15-2013 at 06:38 PM

I have a truck and camper. That place looks great! I would like info on anywhere I can setup my camper close or in town. Don,t need or want any hookups. Just a safe spot to stay and check out the town.

If the road report is good when I get there I might drive to San Javier. I might be a little overnight for the town roads. I will put the co-pilot on the roof with a stick to move the brush back.

I drive my rig on some pretty sketchy logging road in B.C. So it should work out OK.

Thanks

Mulegena - 12-15-2013 at 07:41 PM

You can probably park right in town on the streets; suggest asking the police and/or the house you're parked in front of first.

About camping out of town, ask somebody in town to direct you to a rancher or vineyard owner who would accommodate you for a small fee.

What think ye, other mountain Nomads?

Ribbonslinger - 12-15-2013 at 07:52 PM

So no real campsite locations in town?

Paula - 12-15-2013 at 08:29 PM

A year or so ago there was someone in San Jose who had camping space, and would cook supper for you if you asked. I think it was at the end of town, just past the mission. I don't know if it still offered. But it is a friendly town, just ask around and someone will help you out.

There is a brand new hotel in San Miguel-- I'll start a thread on it right now.

Marla Daily - 12-15-2013 at 09:01 PM

We have parked our truck/camper on the north rim above town.
It gets the first sun and you can see and hear the town wake up below as the sun reaches the valley.

Ribbonslinger - 12-15-2013 at 09:12 PM

Sounds like I should be able to make it work there. Did have trouble driving through town in you're camper? Thr streets look narrow with lots of trees.

Did you drive through to san Javier?

Thanks for all the help.

Marla Daily - 12-15-2013 at 09:26 PM

We've always gone to the Comondus entering from the south via the turn off just east of San Javier. We don't know the current road conditions however. It has been a few years since we last went camping that way. We never had any problems, although we needed 4WD in several places. It takes forever to drive the rocky road, so be prepared and patient.

David K - 12-15-2013 at 11:06 PM

N-S-E-W There are in essence 4 ways in and out of Comondu, and while we may disagree on the compass heading, here is what there is:

N: Old main road to La Paz from Tijuana, passes Comondu Viejo ruins near Rancho San Juan. A newer bypass misses those two. A Rough road, meets La Purisima/ Hwy. 1 road 11 miles south of Bahia Concepcion. No recent reports

S: All Paved road to Comondu from La Poza Grande/Francisco Villa off La Purisima highway.

E: Graded road from Loreto and near San Javier. Paved to San Javier from Loreto. 27 dirt miles, often rough or washed out.

W: (really NW): Graded road to San Isidro and La Purisima: Badly washed out, but being rebuilt now (see post by TW).

Ribbonslinger - 12-16-2013 at 04:58 AM

The road to San Javier is the one we will take to complete our loop of the area. It looks like a decent road compared to the bush roads on Vancouver Island where I am from.

Thanks

wilderone - 12-16-2013 at 12:01 PM

No actual campsites in town. But ask for Chamo, and he will direct you to his very nice fenced lot that has water and a cooktop. His house is on the main street, on the left, at the intersection where the road turns right. He can also introduce you to the guy who can guide you to the pictographs too (very close, but traverses private property). Also, an easy walk or drive to San Jose de Comondu to sightsee and visit Mr. Gastelum and check out his wines.

Ribbonslinger - 12-16-2013 at 01:56 PM

Thanks wider one

Great info. Thanks a lot. My wife is a little freaked out about "Baja Violence" so this will make her happier to have a place to stay. Looking forward to driving around the town on our bikes.

Ribbonslinger - 12-16-2013 at 01:58 PM

I got your name wrong. kind of funny. Sorry about that

Mulegena - 12-16-2013 at 05:26 PM

No worries. The mountain people of Baja are some of the finest folks on earth-- so nice I married into one of the clans.

Ribbonslinger - 12-16-2013 at 05:59 PM

Looking forward to it!

David K - 12-16-2013 at 07:52 PM

Tell your wife to relax, there is 1000 times bigger chance of violence in any American city than in the outback of Baja!

liknbaja127 - 12-16-2013 at 08:14 PM

David is right on with that! The farther out the nicer the people. Have a
great trip:bounce:

Ribbonslinger - 12-17-2014 at 06:05 PM

Never got a chance to get to San Jose de Comondu last year. Anyone driven the road from just east of San Javier yet since the hurricane?

AKgringo - 12-17-2014 at 07:06 PM

I drove from La Purisma and San Isidro to highway 1 just south of Bahia Conception a couple of days before Thanksgiving. The first five or six miles east of the highway are in good shape, but past that it is very slow (or brutal) road. 4wd is not necessary, but good clearance, tires and suspension are required. It is a longer, slower, and narrower drive than the south end of highway 5 through Coco's Corner, but beautiful country!
The flood damage in that area was impressive, I saw drift wood thirty feet or more above the river level. The impassable stretches were repaired by bulldozer prior to the Baja 1000, but had not been graded yet.
Unless one of the other roads was also used for the course, I wonder if any repairs were done to them.
I did not drive to either of the Comondu villages, so I don't know if they are accessible from the East side.
I hope that helps.

[Edited on 12-18-2014 by AKgringo]

Mulegena - 12-17-2014 at 07:29 PM

Word from La Purisima is that the road from Mex-1 up is going to be soon or has already been graded.

Please note: The highway on Mex-1 just a few miles north of the turnoff to La Purisima/San Isidro is permanently flooded since the hurricane in September. Slow waaay down and creep through.

Also, stop at the rustic little diner that's right there where the wáter floods the highway. Most excellent ranch foods.

Ribbonslinger - 12-17-2014 at 08:24 PM

Thanks for the info. I really want to get there this year.

Ribbonslinger - 12-18-2014 at 07:18 AM

Akgringo / Mulegena

You have got me thinking about doing the loop from La Purisima to San Javier. I doubt there is gas in La Purisima ? Got a friend who could come with us just in case things go sideways. Thanks again for the report.

Mula - 12-18-2014 at 08:26 AM

There are Gas signs in La Purisima on the west end of town. Buying gas from cans. No gas stations.

AKgringo - 12-18-2014 at 10:10 AM

Ribbonslinger, Traveling with a friend is a good idea, I wish I had one! I saw several vehicles on ranches along my route, but encountered none on the road. One or two more people would have been nice to have when I was trying to get my Kia back on the road after my unfortunate choice of campsites. Three hours with a shovel and a jack!
Speaking of campers, yours will not be a happy one after all the shaking on the road I took. I don't know if the loop you referred to includes the pass I drove over, or if you are going further south, but the whole area had major wash outs. The aggregate is gone, nothing but bedrock and cobbles left on any grades. 10 mph is hard to maintain on that road, and then just for short stretches!
I pulled a small but heavy duty utility trailer with a very light load (still got me stuck in the sand) but I would not recommend pulling or driving anything like boats or RVs over that road.

(Wahoo! pass didn't get changed to pburro)

Ribbonslinger - 12-18-2014 at 10:45 AM

Akgringo

Have you got any pictures of some of the worst sections? Were the grades steep?

I have taken my truck and camper on some pretty crappy roads. If you got through with a truck and utility trailer I should make it (I hope). The worst problem for me is too narrow road width. My camper jacks can get pretty close to a boulder or rock face on the high side and I have to back up which is not fun.

If I had my little Toyota it would be no problem, but don't want to start another truck war on this thread.

David K - 12-18-2014 at 11:05 AM

The road between Comondu and San Javier has been reported rough for years, some said impassable (at least to non-off road drivers). The other iffy road was the Comondu to San Isidro/ La Purisima road. It was once washed out (see Motoged & dtbushpilot trip), but new grading was reported the past year?

I think TW may have the latest news on these routes. The problem is the fall hurricanes wash them out, as it had the Loreto to San Javier highway, which is reopened quickly, but the lesser used road to Comondu would not get such quick action.

AAA map from 10 years ago... roads have been paved to San Javier from Loreto and to Comondu from Francisco Villa since then...

AKgringo - 12-18-2014 at 11:33 AM

Ribbonslinger, First of all, thank you for referring to my Kia as a truck! Most people think of it as just a caboose for a motor home, which it was before I rescued it. Now it gets to play with the Jeeps and Toyotas that other Nomads drive.
I didn't take or post any pictures, I was too busy driving and my dog can't figure that stuff out. Ok, neither can I, but I will work on it for the next trip!
There is nothing on that road that will give your truck problems, aside from the contents of the camper. I doubt that you will need 4x4, although I used low range on a few of the grades to stay in the right rpm range. Much of the road is one lane, but nothing you would have to back up for or crowd a bank. Passing other vehicles could be a problem, but did not happen to me.
Please take pictures and post them so I can show them to folks and say 'See, I was there!'

Ribbonslinger - 12-18-2014 at 11:42 AM

Akgringo

I will be in Mulege in early January. Not sure when I will head up there but I will be around for 3 months. I will send you a note when we go incase you want to beat up your truck a little more.

TMW - 12-18-2014 at 11:57 AM

We did the road from the San Javier hwy thru the Comondus to San Isidro last April so I can't say about the road conditions since the hurricane. However as to width of the road both in the dirt and thru town is OK for your camper. From Comondu south there are a couple of places you need to watch for overhead trees. I don't think it's a problem but my shell is under 7 feet.

AKgringo - 12-18-2014 at 12:30 PM

Ribbonslinger, Since you started this thread,I guess it is ok to hijack it. Shadowing some one else on a Baja wander would be great, and by April I might head south again. If you are still there, I would appreciate a shout out.
I love the dessert, but my number one activity is skiing which is just getting good now. A spring run to Baja is on the table, depending on how the snow (and my body) holds up
I will be looking for your trip reports, G.L.

Ribbonslinger - 12-18-2014 at 12:49 PM

Thanks TMW

I am going on that trip for sure. Going to bring as much wine as I can carry back from Comondu.

LOL !! aint that the truth !!

captkw - 12-18-2014 at 09:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Tell your wife to relax, there is 1000 times bigger chance of violence in any American city than in the outback of Baja!
...I get asked daily ?? isn't mex dangerous ??...my reply: "Ya I have to drive thru LA and San Diago to get there !!":lol: ...K&T:cool:...PS..BTW I towed a small livinston boat (14') over that road in a 82 Volvo 240 20 yrs ago !!! never again !!:wow:...What was I Thinking ??

[Edited on 12-19-2014 by captkw]

Gulliver - 12-19-2014 at 08:09 AM

Just to put in my two cents worth, I tried to get through from San Javier to Comondu last Winter on a dual sport bike, a Suzuki DR-350 with no luggage. And I am an extremely experienced rider.

I found the road doable from leaving the pavement just out of San Javier until I got to an ascent about ten miles in around Monte Alto. At that point the climb involved vertical steps about a foot high with lots of loose slate. I have a foot of ground clearance and I was banging my skid plate on every one of the steps.

There were rubber marks on the bare rocks. I believe it is doable with big ground clearance, an automatic transmission and big rubber and a low center of gravity. A rock crawler type of vehicle.

I visited a rancho nearby and they said that they had not been to Comondu that route in a couple of years.

Now I was trying to go up this grade. Going down slowly might be better. I'm not exited about being in such places with any vehicle that I cannot drag around by hand.

I'm going back again sometime this Winter to deliver a photo I took of the ranchero family and I'll check it out again. Who knows what Odile has done?

David K - 12-19-2014 at 11:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Gulliver  
Just to put in my two cents worth, I tried to get through from San Javier to Comondu last Winter on a dual sport bike, a Suzuki DR-350 with no luggage. And I am an extremely experienced rider.

I found the road doable from leaving the pavement just out of San Javier until I got to an ascent about ten miles in around Monte Alto. At that point the climb involved vertical steps about a foot high with lots of loose slate. I have a foot of ground clearance and I was banging my skid plate on every one of the steps.

There were rubber marks on the bare rocks. I believe it is doable with big ground clearance, an automatic transmission and big rubber and a low center of gravity. A rock crawler type of vehicle.

I visited a rancho nearby and they said that they had not been to Comondu that route in a couple of years.

Now I was trying to go up this grade. Going down slowly might be better. I'm not exited about being in such places with any vehicle that I cannot drag around by hand.

I'm going back again sometime this Winter to deliver a photo I took of the ranchero family and I'll check it out again. Who knows what Odile has done?


Thanks for the road report... sounds great for those with 4WDs, lockers, and ground clearance, and terrible for most others. Baja was once hundreds of miles of such bad roads, and that was the appeal back in the 50's and 60's.

mcnut - 12-19-2014 at 12:14 PM

My experience of the Comondu - San Javier is similar can be a rough, bumpy and long drive.

Also the east/west La Purisima - Hwy 1 route last winter was quite rough on the Hwy 1 end, nothing like in years past or the west half which is a dirt highway. Not hard but slow and tedious for late in the day when we had expected to average 25 - 35 mph on MCs.

Bruce

MulegeAL - 12-19-2014 at 01:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Gulliver  

I'm going back again sometime this Winter to deliver a photo I took of the ranchero family and I'll check it out again. Who knows what Odile has done?


Yeah, I am curious to answer the Odile question regarding routes out Mulege's back door and the Comondu area as well. So give me a holler should you need a riding buddy. I'll have my baja-busting XR600 down there in a few weeks.

Last season, we rode from La Purisima north through Paso Hondo, Buenos Aires and through to Mulege; the high pass sections were very rough, worst I've seen in 3 or 4 hurricanes!

Gulliver - 12-19-2014 at 05:10 PM

I'm waiting for Ribbonslinger to bring down a new carb slide spring for my DR. Until then I'm riding Barbara's DR-125 which is severely power challenged.

From what I see in the Almanac of that route, I will need my 13 tooth!

I carry an H.F. ham radio and wire to throw over a cardon when I ride by myself. No bones in the desert for me.

Ribbonslinger - 12-19-2014 at 06:36 PM

After reading these posts I have just put a large pick in the truck in case I have to do a little road reconstruction along the route. Looks like it will be a good test for the tire sidewalls. This road must get graded every now and then because the road reports have quite a bit of variability.

Pompano - 12-19-2014 at 06:49 PM

I cannot vouch for the current conditions of the roads to the Comandu's, but I can suggest a camping choice and brief summary of our trip. For an enjoyable overnight campsite, you might try the village square.


Many years ago....in 1975 to be exact.... 8 of us from Coyote Bay made the journey to the villages. We had no trouble at all on the trail...taking a pickup, an all-terrain homemade buggy, and an El Camino (half-car/half-pickup)

As I recall, the trail was long and rough, but certainly doable if you took your time. We stopped at a few places to walk about and have a refreshment. I remember a trailside shrine with a pail for peso donations. It was half-full of the old big peso coins and we added ours. Another stop was at a hand-dug well with wooden windlass and bucket, surrounded by mesquite trees and a herd of goats. Coming upon an old time sight, I took a favorite photo of an old woman sitting outside her little house and doing her sewing. A real Baja flashback in time.




Coming over a mountaintop ridge and seeing the town spread out below was another magical stop...and worth another photo. I think we were about 1000 feet above the village at this point.

When we drove our little 3 vehicle convoy into the square next to the mission, the padre came out to greet us, and one of us very enthusiastically. He had recognized our amigo and guide, J.W. Black...better known as Blackjack.. once a ramrod on several Baja outback expeditions led by Earl Stanley Gardner, who wrote a few books on that subject.

Blackjack had visited this village many times in the past, the last time being 1960 and had befriended the children of the village by gifting them with bags full of wooden toys he had crafted and brought along. He did the same thing on this trip 15 years later. We were invited to make our camp in the square and share dinner and tea with the padre and several townspeople who remembered Blackjack. But he was known to them as simply Senor Black, which a few exclaimed when they saw him. I can still see and hear some nice older folks hurrying over shouting 'Senor Black'!


It was a very nice end to a long trip through the mountains. If ever the chance presents itself again, I'll return. So...I have not much to add to an up-to-date report, other than to say the trip the Comandus is certainly worhtwhile. You will not regret it.



[Edited on 12-20-2014 by Pompano]

mcnut - 12-19-2014 at 06:50 PM

Repairs to allow passage happen fairly quickly but it can be awhile before hastily repaired sections see a finish grading. This is true throughout Baja.
For years the east-west route from La Purisima to Hwy 1 was a fast double lane dirt freeway which I think I could have averaged 40 mph on an MC, then the series of hurricanes hit and cut that average in 1/2.

Bruce

Ribbonslinger - 12-19-2014 at 09:31 PM

Pompano

Thanks for the trip back in time. Camping in the town square sounds good.

I have shot my my mouth off on this thread too much now not to go.

geoffff - 12-20-2014 at 12:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Gulliver  
Just to put in my two cents worth, I tried to get through from San Javier to Comondu last Winter [...]

I found the road doable from leaving the pavement just out of San Javier until I got to an ascent about ten miles in around Monte Alto. At that point the climb involved vertical steps about a foot high with lots of loose slate. I have a foot of ground clearance and I was banging my skid plate on every one of the steps.

There were rubber marks on the bare rocks. I believe it is doable with big ground clearance, an automatic transmission and big rubber and a low center of gravity. A rock crawler type of vehicle. [...]


If we're thinking of the same spot... the worst part for me when I took this route back in 2012 was climbing the hill heading west from "Palo Chino" (which is just a couple miles west of Monte Alto you mention). (GPS: 25.9634, -111.6679) I don't think it was quite as bad in 2012 as what you describe, but it was still very steep and crumbly -- much of the road surface was melon-sized rocks. My van has 4x4 & low range -- and I was definitely crawling through here.



-- Geoff

Gulliver - 12-20-2014 at 04:50 AM

The one that alarmed me was a fairly steep climb just past the side road to Los Bebelamas. Palo Chino area indeed. A side hill with a bit of a drop off. More solid rock but with hub high step ups. No one could use momentum to make it. Just low range, 4WD, automatic trans and time. Or a trials competition motorcycle. The bike guys will know about that.

With a modern bike and a foot of ground clearance I can go through places like your picture at moderate speed. Rough on the wrists and tiring but not hazardous. The washouts between the paved San Javier road and where I turned around are like that. Caution but nothing to stop for except to marvel at.

I think your picture was taken perhaps a quarter mile up hill from where I called it a day. The storms and failed attempts have eaten it badly. Your picture does not do justice to it even back then. Pictures seldom do. Down hill slowly would be much more doable. Probably ribbonslinger's rig could make it that direction. Without the boat behind!! I don't know anything about the road from there North to Comodu. Yet.

Too bad you sent that picture. Now Barbara will want a rig like it.

Ribbonslinger - 12-20-2014 at 07:10 AM

Geoffff

I read about your trips before on your bog. Great stuff!

geoffff - 12-20-2014 at 11:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Gulliver  
Your picture does not do justice to it even back then. Pictures seldom do


So true. I wish I could find a way to portray how it really felt - much steeper and scarier than how it looks.

And I felt very alone out there!

-- Geoff