A ride with Hank

Email dispatched to Hank to see if he wants to ride. He's taking some people around town, but game. I hop on the bike to meet him at the cemetery across town. He pulls up, smile on his face as usual and it's like we just rode yesterday (even though it was a month and a half ago). Car parked, onto the bike path and its up one of Hank's usual roads, and it is fantastic. Perfect pavement, reasonable grades for once, and wonderful views for the upper section. Halfway up I can't help stopping to take a photo. Hank continues on and I send my heart into the red sprinting to get back to him. I think it's my favorite among the several ways that I have ridden to get into the Belledonne plateau. From there, easy rolling until Hank casually suggests that it's time for "the wall" with a smirk. "How long"? I ask, looking at the wall winding up into the hills above. "Long enough". And it was indeed long enough, with some pretty steep sections throughout. Next, descending time, during which Hank almost collides with a dude who is on the wrong side of the road (in the video), then more descending followed by a brutally steep short uphill section and then another sweet downhill.