I managed to take more wrong turns on my bicycle than you’d think. You’re going slower than cars, usually, but you can still get it wrong. It seems, though, like less of a problem on a bike. More pedaling!

Turning around is different. In the car I find that every place I try to turn around is a bad option, in a blind curve or has a squadron of vehicles following me while there are forever cars coming from the other direction. It can be exasperating, but I think that’s because in the car you’re always going somewhere.

On the bike, I’m trying to find somewhere, or I’m trying to remember where I put myself. Or I’m simply more comfortable with the idea that there, up there, is going to be in the same spot when I finally do make it.

I didn’t mind so much when I missed a turn 22 miles into today’s ride. I got to pass a pickup right after that. First moving vehicle I’ve overtaken in a while. And after a mile-and-a-half of slow climbing, I found myself with this view:

I’d been to this place before. You start to recognize crossroads and signs and ditches, if not the treeline in the distant pasture:

So the one road drops me off into another road with more traffic and less light and I found myself at a gas station, which I’ve visited before. It was the only thing around for miles, except for the sunset:

And there I called it a ride. My missed turn gave me views I hadn’t expected, but would have put about 15 more miles onto my trip and I just ran out of time. It is hard to see it, but even the twilight was giving up fast. I called for a ride and did doughnuts in the parking lot of the gas station, where they have appliances on a side porch:

And I learned what goes on inside old gas pumps:

And, not for the first time, I’ve wanted to tour this old co-op. They still do some work out of there. I’d like to see inside the place.

So my ride ended early, but it went early, and exactly right, at 33.51 miles.