Lagniappe

Thursday, March 22, 2018

I spent the interest on my Daylight Savings account and took in a few extra miles on my way home, including a short, steep pitch marked as Arrowhead Drive in the Highland Hills neighborhood just west of Mopac. A friend of mine who does not ride had claimed it was the steepest pitch in Austin, impossible to climb on a bike, but I had my doubts. Coming off Hancock Drive, I found Arrowhead Drive pretty easily, though it takes some climbing to get there. Indeed, it was a steep pitch, 24 percent grade, but mercifully short – only about a block long. Here’s a photo from the top looking down.

The photo never does it justice. It’s steep – but not as steep or challenging as the granddaddy of all the steep pitches in Austin, Smokey Valley, which tops out right at 30 percent grade as you reach its crest. More on that in a future post.

Meanwhile, I continued my ride home and took advantage of the extra daylight by taking in a little lagniappe, a few extra miles in the Great Hills area. Here’s more on the journey.