Fickle Hill

You may recall the scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” in which Steve Carell gets his chest waxed. Each time the waxing lady pulls his hair off, he can’t help but shout out a litany of profanities due to the pain.

One’s internal dialogue is similar when climbing Fickle Hill, as I learned today. I’ve pedalled up longer hills and to higher elevations. But Fickle Hill is special.

The grade is brutal, with long stretches that seem like they’re at 18 percent. It’s the kind of steepness that makes you consider getting off the bike and walking. But that wouldn’t be right, so you trudge ahead and hope that the words going through your head aren’t actually coming out of your mouth.

It’s really beautiful up there and you’re treated to views like the one below.



For all the difficulty, it’s a great ride. My plan is to return to Fickle Hill many times until it becomes much easier and my internal dialogue is suitable for the public airwaves.