Toughest Hoosier Hills
I’ve been using Google Earth for a while now, mostly to line out new routes to ride, and it is amazing how detailed a view of the countryside you can get, including the distances and elevations. To quantify the difficulty of the many Hoosier hills, I’ve come up with Mitch’s Hill Toughness Quotient (MHTQ). The formula is a steepness quotient, dividing the rise in elevation in feet by the distance in miles. The climbs I have here are all over .2 miles, and the rises vary from 138-318 ft., and I include both paved and gravel roads. Gravel is harder to climb, but I am not sure by what factor. For me, some are impossible, my back wheel starts to spin out, even with a bunch of weight in my pannier.
There are factors other than MHTQ that should be considered in saying how hard a hill is to climb. Consider Brummett’s Creek Rd., which has a MHTQ of 608, while everyone would agree that Bear Wallow Hill Rd. (424 MHTQ) really is a bear, rising a whopping 324 feet in 3/4 mile. More climbing, more distance, more work. So in some cases rising steeply for a short distance may be easier than a long climb.
I have been updating this list, and as of now Brummett’s Creek and Mt. Gilead (west) hills have risen to the top of the paved list (discounting Miller and Boltinghouse, which are still far and away the toughest paved hills).
THE TOP FIVE TOUGHEST HOOSIER HILLS
#1 McGOWEN ROAD
No way around it, this gravel hill leading to Gilmore Ridge is the toughest Hoosier Hill I’ve been on. Just southeast of Pine Grove on Lake Monroe, McGowen (aka Rogers) Road rises a whopping 250 feet over just .27 miles, giving it the top score of 926 MHTQ. I’ve since figured out that it is much easier to go up TC Steele Road and down McGowen Road rather than up!
605 to 855 feet
250 ft rise
.27 mile
250/.27=926 MHTQ
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| From Crooked Creek_McGowen Ride |
Second and third place (by the numbers) go to Miller and Boltinghouse Roads. Boltinghouse has had the reputation as the toughest paved hill, but I have checked my numbers thrice, and Miller is the winner by a nose. As Earl Young and Indian HIll are gravel, they may be harder to climb than Miller and Boltinghouse, but I’ve never made it up any of them, so I can’t really compare.
#2 Miller Road
616-820 feet
204 ft. rise
.27 mile
204/.27=775 MHTQ
#3 Boltinghouse Road
629 to 820 feet
191 foot rise
.25 mile
191/.25=764 MHTQ
Number four is Earl Young Rd, and being gravel, it should harder than either Miller or Boltinghouse, even with the 100 point difference in the quotients. If you have experience on these roads what do you think? Is Earl Young tougher than Miller or Boltinghouse?
#4 Earl Young Rd
694 to 874, 180 ft rise
.27 mile
180/.27= 666 MHTQ
Number five is in Brown county, Indian Hill Road off of SR 45. This may also be tougher than Miller/Boltinghouse, as it is gravel, longer, and has more rise than the other top 5, so although it is a few points lower than Brummett’s Creek, it rates being in the top 5.
#5 Indian Hill Rd.
640 to 876, 236 feet rise
.39 mi.
236/.39= 605 MHTQ
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Below is a listing of some well known hills, I’ve climbed them all on my recumbent at one time or another, and wanted to know where they were in the scale. I placed them in order, with Brummett’s Creek at the top, and to my surprise, Firehouse Hill near the bottom. (It seems seems much tougher being long, and it is often the last big hill of the day.) If you have any hills that should be on this list, let me know.
Brummett’s Creek Rd.
770-630=140 ft rise
.23 miles
140/.23=608
Mt. Gilead Road (West)
836- 630=206 ft rise
.39 mi
206/.39=528.2
Schwartz Ridge Road
715-577=138
.25 mi.
138/.25=522
Bean Blossom Road (the first main climb)
630-820 190 feet
.39 mi.
190/.37=487
Mt. Gilead-(East)
803-660=143 ft rise
.29 miles
143/.29=493
Bear Creek Hill (Gravel)
738-907 169 rise
.35 mi
169/.35=483
TC Steele Road
560-860=200 feet
.42 mi.
200/.42= 472
Crooked Creek (Gravel)
595-860, 265 ft rise
.6 mi
265/.6=441
Bear Wallow Hill
692-1010, 318 ft rise
.75 mi
318/.75=424
Old Meyers Road
610-790, 180 ft
.46 mi
180/.46=391
SR 446 North of causeway
560 to 728, 168 rise
.44 mi.
168/.44=382
Lampkins Ridge
565 to 705, 150 foot rise
.4 mi.
150/.4=375
Paynetown Road
540 to 728, 188 ft rise
.52 mi
188/.52=361
SR 446 south of the causeway
560-750, 190 ft rise
.56 mi.
190/.56=340
Firehouse Hill
601 to 791, 190 ft rise
.65 miles
190/.65=262
Bean Blossom Hill (the full climb)
630 to 923=293 ft rise
1.29 miles
293/1.29=227 MHTQ