Starting Up that Steep Hill

[OakLeaf]

What is the actual grade? I Never stand and I am always happy to use my lowest gear in any hill (compact front, 12-28 back). I think steep for me is about 16% plus though, that might be lame, I dunno. The canyon here with a 22% is just not on my wish list, but I can climb all day on more reasonable grades.

The numbers she quoted say 11% overall, and over 6/100s of a mile, it's unlikely to have much steeper segments. I would normally spin up 11% too, from a riding start (not, for example, from changing a flat or dropping a chain in the middle of an 11% grade) and I have the combination of leg strength and low gears to do it. But, since the OP isn't able to get over the hump that way ... and since she's already out of the saddle for the stop sign ... and since the bump is apparently very short (though she didn't confirm that impression) - I still say the best way over is just not to get back in the saddle once she's across the cross street. Use body weight for that extra assist, it isn't long enough to run out of lung, and eventually she'll develop confidence and the leg strength to spin up it if that's her preferred way to climb.