If you can't tell from the picture, that road is STEEP. Like, get off your bike and walk steep. And let me tell you, it's no fun to walk in carbon fibre soled shoes. On a wet mountain road. That's so steep your bike feels like it's going to slip out of your hands and you're going to have to chase it back down the two kilometers or so you've already climbed.

It was a tough ride.

We didn't intend to take the road we ended up taking. We missed the turn to the easier climb. When we realized, we thought we'd give it a shot. And I'm glad that we did, now that I'm safe at home. But it took a lot out of me, bringing to mind the hills on the Great Northwest Tour when I was seven years old. At least then I had an excuse for getting off and walking--I was seven years old!

Actually, I'm not telling the whole story. It was a beautiful day. A great way to start June. And two thirds of the ride was dreamy. The rice fields shimmer in the sun and the temperature is still comfortable. The summer heat is around the corner, and knowing that makes a day like today all the sweeter. But there was that climb...