When people have off-road vehicles they accessories them. In the beginning I made some beginner mistakes, but I soon figured out what I wanted this jeep to be and followed that path. One of the first things I bought were these cool 135w fog/running lights. Well, in N or E Texas you are either on a road with other traffic or you are on a rocky jeep trail and a pencil beam light doesn’t do too much good. Diffused “fog” lights work best.
I am driving up the dirt road with switchbacks and all, trying to make it back to GetBent in less than 45 minutes, 1 hour total would be tough, but in the dark with a broken bike, in a place you really do not understand yet, would be antagonizing. It is great; the 135w bulbs are making daylight out of the black hole that surrounds us. I see rabbits and other varmint, I am thinking I should have brought those other two beers in the fridge, and we could have sat up here afterwards and drink a cold one looking out at the city.
(see picture #1)
I have a hard time debating; enter at the exit, or the entrance. This is mistake 2, I choose the exit, but GetBent knew his way to back track, not forward. We should have discussed this before splitting up.
I drive from the entrance to the exit, 5 or so miles away, hang a right and start up the trail. I decide to stay in 2Hi to make up some time, and I was flying. The trail was a little rough but not bad. I have to be there, I have been going for long enough, it is 9:30, and it has been dark for a while. I start up a hill and tick, tick, tick, boom. The drive shaft explodes. I roll back to flat ground, pull out the blanket/ carpet, tool bag and head lamp in the tool bag and go to work. I have the drive shaft out in minutes, tossed in the back, lock the front hubs and I back up for some momentum and go. The jeep is pointing straight up zigging left and right, but no forward momentum.
(See picture #2)
Interestingly enough, GetBent, 2 hills away sees the aliens landing and thinks it is me. Then they go away and come back. Then nothing. So he guesses it is drug runners or something similar this close to border and decides he needs to start making his way home. It is now 10pm. I told you I pulled that DS quickly. I am going to get GetBent and come back; we will drive the jeep backwards out of here! I have the head lamp, phone, camel bac with ½ gallon of water, Dirt bike jersey, pants and boots. That is about it. About 5 minutes into my walk the led head lamp goes to zero, I pull out the phone and use the light for the camera. He has to be right around the corner, let’s get out of here. One bad thing about those 135w lights, or the rock lights in the previous picture. I now have no night vision and can imagine walking over rattle snakes and such. But, I have on MX boots, not the best hiking boots, but they should keep off a snake bite.
Over a few hills the cell phone light goes out and it starts ringing. It is my wife. I had called her when I was driving up to the trail head on the jeep, and she was calling back. I tell her the news that it is gone from bad to worse. 2 dead vehicles. She is in Texas right now, and can only come up with; you have the best adventures without me. Interestingly enough while on the phone with her and no lights, my night vision comes in. Hmm, keep one eye closed if you use a light so you have night vision. I remember that from a Hamburger hill. I shall do this! So, I am walking and talking. Nothing like being stuck in the middle on nowhere, but yet you can talk on the phone. Crazy I tell you.
Soon I get off the phone, I hear a rattler. Nope, with one ear hearing outside and one hearing the phone, a locus sounded bad and low, instead of harmless and in a tree. I call her back and say that I need to have all of my limited senses, it is late, go to sleep (2 hour time difference). I walk and walk, I get to an intersection that I remember, and this was ½ mile back, I have walked past the site of the accident. I thought I had heard motor sounds. I am sure Jim is trying to ride it out, but has to stop to let it cool. This whole time I had been shouting “Jim” but no response. If he has his helmet on, and bike sometimes running, he is never going to hear me. Plus the desert wind is blowing at 30mph. I turn around and hike out, and about a half mile later I see the sign that takes you from the main trail to this one. I completely missed it going the other way due to a tree. It is amazing that I cannot really 4 feet away. Now my phone is getting low on battery and I only use the light to go up hill since that is where most of the rocks are. Jim should be long gone by now. I am going to relax, enjoy the stars, and try to not come into contact with any illegals, snakes or pretty much anything else. The stars are great, the moon has not come out yet, and the pitch dark made for some great stars. I decide to start slowing down on the water consumption just incase I have to hike out of here. Once in a while I can see the city and get cell reception, so I use that to line up the stars to get my bearings. It is around 11:30, I wish I would have been keeping track of time so I could know when I was coming up on the jeep. (Mistake 3)