On Trying to Get Lost (and failing)

What a beautiful Saturday! Sunshine, warming temperatures, all pointing to the need for a nice long ride! In my, always present, quest for uncharted territory, I rode Big Hanaford Rd. from Tono intending to turn on Little Hanaford Rd. (I'd swear I've seen it along there somewhere). No such road. I ended back on 507. So, I rode to Centralia and had lunch at my favorite place, Berry Fields Cafe. I told the waitress I thought I might head to Adna since my Little Hanaford excursion didn't pan out. She gave me a suggestion of how to go since she lives close to Adna. When I got to the road she was talking about, I decided I didn't want to head further south to just have to come back the same way. I just continued heading west. Afterall, I had never been on Cook's Hill Rd. on my bike (once in a car to visit a friends' dad, but not too far down the road). Wow, they don't call it Cook's HILL Rd. for nothing! That sucker was steep! Took the arm warmers and leg warmers off at the top. But, I was psyched! I was on a new road in uncharted territory! I rode along for awhile then came to Jobbish Rd. Hmmm...never heard of that one! So I turned. Woo Hoo! Two new roads! The excitement was building as I started to think of where I might end up. I came down a long hill and to an unknown (or so I thought) tiny burg. I briefly thought, I wonder where I am. That is until I saw a building that said Gavine, then the intersection of Jobbish and Gavine Rd. Oh, I knew exactly where I was. I had been here twice before. Go left and it's back to Centralia. Go right and it's on to Lincoln Creek Rd. Well, I certainly didn't want to go back to Centralia! So I headed along Lincoln Cr. Rd. What road should I happen to pass? The end of Cook's Hill Rd.! As I was riding, I figured I would just ride to Independance Rd. like I have done before. So much for the new roads. Then I came to Michigan Hill Rd. (what's with all these HILL roads???). Hmmm...haven't been that way. Surprise surprise, another BIG hill (saw 5 guys going down as I was going up--I hollered, "It's more fun going UP!" I think they disagreed). Anyway, got to the top and to the next intersection. It was Prather Rd. CRAP! I know Prather Rd! It comes into Old 99 not far from Great Wolf Lodge (been there, done that). Michigan Hill Rd continued to the left. I turned right thinking, fine fine, I'll head to 99. Lo and behold, I come to another street called Lundeen. Hmmm...wonder where that goes? So I turned. Rode along with some great views of the valley below. Then I came down (nice change from going up!) Lundeen to a stop sign. What road should that be? None other than the end of Michigan Hill Rd! Where Michigan Hill ended turned out to be Independance Rd! How is it I keep coming back to these roads I've been on?? At this point, short of heading further from home, I give up and ride on into Rochester (funny thing, this morning as I was leaving, Tim asked where I was going. I said I was going to find Little Hanaford Rd and ride into Centralia. He said, "Oh, you're going to Rochester?" I said, "No, I'm going to Centralia!" Ahem...). One last concession was to ride back via Gate Rd. instead of Littlerock Rd. (which I've been on a million times--Gate Rd.? only 1/2 a million times). after a short time on Gate Rd, a guy passed me (actually saw lots of cyclists today!) Nothing like another rider to get me moving to keep up! We rode together all the way up Waddell Creek and down to Delphi where I turned off to head to Black Lake (he actually realized he didn't want to go in on Delphi and caught up with me just as I was getting ready to turn onto Blacklake/Belmore Rd where we said so long again). Guy's name was Rick and when I was at 70 miles, he was at 115! He was likely older than me too!
The rest of the ride was uneventful. Total miles for this beautiful day: 90!

Cook's Hill Rd.--what I had come up.



Cook's Hill Rd.--What I still had to go up!


The view from the top.



From Lundeen Rd.


And, where is this? Rochester--where I WASN'T going to go today!!!