What is a snake?

,I bet you have done an "out and back route."  Remember going to a trail and following it out a ways and turning around to retrace your steps back to the car?  

This spring I came up with a new twist on the out and back route to provide variety when basically cycling streets repeatedly. I called this route a "snake."  How does it work?  I would start a ride and, without a fixed path to follow or a destination, make it up as I go.   I would remember my path, so I could later retrace my path to get home.  Once I get to a random point I decide to reverse my course.

I later added some challenges such as making no dead ends or loops.  I also did one with only right turns going out.  If I wanted to ride two hours, I could turnaround after the hour.  Below is an example of one of my rides that took me over 30 miles!

Oops!  I see that I created a dead end and a loop.  No big deal.  I was able to have a fun ride that last  2 hours and 40 minutes and I was only a couple of miles from home at the furthest point. I find that this gives me a feeling of variety.