Desire Lines and Algorithmic Biking

Following waterfronts is almost always interesting. Moving north along the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, the best way to stick as close to the water as possible is to use a variation of the Right Hand Rule for solving mazes: since the wall of a maze, like the edge of the water, is topologically continuous, if you keep turning right when faced with a choice, all the corrugations will unfold and you'll always make progress.

Glancing at the map before leaving, I noticed that Governor's Run Road in Kenwood Beach was only a few hundred yards through the woods from Aspen Road in Scientist's Cliffs, even though these two neighborhoods are widely seperated by car. Out there in the heat and humidity, I found exactly what I was hoping to find: a well maintained but unmarked trail linking these two roads. A desire line, blazed, no doubt, by kids walking between neighborhoods, and perfect for a high speed bike run through the woods.