The trip to Huayacocotla went well until the four geologists reached about two miles from Huejutla de Reyes. At this point, the van started make a grinding sound, which got progressively louder as the vehicle approached town. Arturo said, “I think we have a bad U-joint.”
Miller said, “I told the people at the Institute garage to check the U-joints, among other things. I guess I should have crawled under the vehicle and checked the U-joints myself. Those guys at the garage do as little as possible. I did check the tire pressure. I found that each tire had a different pressure. Three tires were fifteen pounds underinflated. At least the mechanics did change the oil; I can verify that. I happened to take some paperwork to the garage when they were in the process of changing it.”
The van finally pulled up in front of the first reputable-looking taller mecánico that appeared along the road into Huejutla de Reyes. Fortunately, the mechanic was able to obtain a suitable U-joint. While they were there, Miller had the mechanic look over the engine. The mechanic immediately found that the tray that held the battery was about to collapse. The metal was entirely corroded from battery acid and needed to be repaired. The mechanic was also a welder and managed to repair the battery tray in short order. Miller knew by now that it would be impossible to reach their destination by the end of the day, and they would probably either have to stay at a motel or camp out along the way. They were already over two hours behind schedule, so they decided to press on.
Shortly after leaving Huejutla de Reyes, the road climbed steeply into the Sierra Madre Oriental through lush tropical vegetation, and then into desert-like vegetation. By the time the road had climbed another two and a half thousand feet, the vegetation changed again. Numerous tall pine trees started covering the mountainsides, and the outside temperatures dropped from 85 degrees to 60 degrees. By now, the elevation was around seven thousand feet.
Miller said, “We turn off Route 105 in about four miles. Look for a road going off to the left. This will be the road to Huayacocotla. It’s already close to sunset. There will be no motels out here. I guess we will have to find a place to camp out. Look for some sort of side road with a clearing so we can pull off and set up camp. Most of this area is national forest.”
After traveling another five miles, Arturo said, “There’s a good spot just up the road on the right. There’s a clearing. Somebody appears to have been doing some logging. We should be able to set up our tents in some of the more level areas. For the sake of security, I would suggest that we only set up two of our tents. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble, but we’re going to be setting up pretty close to the road. It is best to be careful.”
Miller said. “Gary, you and Felipe set up the tents. Arturo and I will start preparing dinner. Also get the folding table, gas lamps, stove, and at least one water barrel from the van. We need to set up quickly and get to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day once we reach Huayacocotla.”
Gary and Felipe shared one tent and Arturo and Miller shared the other. From a deep sleep, Miller awakened with a start and said, “What in the hell is going on out there, Arturo? There is one hell of racket! Somebody pulled up in a flatbed truck.”
Arturo said, “I think we had better be careful. I believe these guys are logging poachers. This is a Mexican National Forest area. It is illegal to cut down trees here. I didn’t think about it when we arrived, but those piles of logs that you see around here are probably what they came to collect. I hope the boys in the other tent stay put. I’ll try to get their attention without making too much noise. I am sure they’re awake.”
The poachers picked up their stash in about a half an hour and left without bothering the geologists. Miller was glad there were no problems. He finally went back to sleep.