Page Mill Pests

One of the downsides of being a slow climber is being pestered by bugs. Gnats. Little flies. Big flies. Sometimes the bugs eat you, and sometimes ...

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly ...

She swallowed a fly because the annoying creature flew into her mouth as she was crawling up another hill on her bicycle, gasping for air. [Didn't turn out so well for the fly, but I suppose the cyclist got a little extra protein.]

I haven't climbed Moody or Page Mill in years. I wondered if I could make it up Moody. [Yes.] Was it as grueling as I remembered? [Yes.]

As much as I wanted to descend the far side after reaching the end of Page Mill, to climb back up West Alpine, my ride buddy and I just couldn't bear the flies. With agricultural areas over there, we feared more of the same (or worse). My legs were done, anyway.

I suggested that we should descend straight down Page Mill, to make our ride a little longer (and to avoid plummeting down Moody, not one of my favorite descents). We ended up climbing 2,480 feet over 27 miles, which was enough. Maybe even more than enough.