Exploration

So, today I went for a ride. I tried to get out of the house early, but I had to put a new tube in on the road bike but the rim tape is falling apart and about 2 minutes after I got everything back together, it exploded. Sad. I decided I would finally go see if I could get to North Bend from Issaquah by way of the Cedar River or the south side of Rattle Snake Ridge. I would need a map and had to scan one out of the Gazateer. That done, I couldn't decide if I wanted to take the single mt. of the multi gear mt. bike. Figuring I didn't really know what I was in for, I opted for the multi gear and set out a whole lot later than I wanted. Off I went into the unknown.

According to my map there is a way to get there, but I wasn't confident I would make it. So, I rode and rode and rode... Through the forest and into the middle of nowhere. Literally nowhere. But here's the crazy thing, people live out there. I'm about two thirds of the way down this road and a car goes whizzing by. I'm thinking they'll be back soon. The road is suppose to be a dead end. Then a short time later another car goes by. Weird. I keep riding and then wholly crap, there's a
whole neighborhood out there-in the middle of freaking nowhere.

Long story short, I never found the way into North Bend. The four way intersection I was supposed find never presented itself and since I started so late, it was sure to be dark before I got all the way home. So I turned around at the end of the "private road" I ended up on. Funny side note: this road had a huge sign that said, "NO ADMITTENCE, ROAD DEAD ENDS, PRIVATE, NO TRESSPASSING". I went up it any way. I mean what were they going to do to me? But every car that went by, the person waved and smiled. Do they know they live on a private road? Nice people. It was good to know if I need anything that they might help.

There was snow up there and starting to get very cold. I realized as I was heading out that I was going down hill. I hadn't even realized I had been climbing for the last 15+ miles. I was frozen by the time I made back to pavement and just couldn't wait to get home. All in all, I spent 3 hours on the bike and rode 33.5 miles and never found the way to North Bend.

Sometimes, that's the way exploration goes. You do a lot of exploring and not a lot of finding.