Enough daylight rose above the horizon at 7am for me to change the setting on my headlight. Which means that my bike computer won’t have interference and I can use it. Since I started climbing “the hill” at 7, I took this opportunity to track my speed for the first time in many, many dark months. I had a strong and powerful start, and didn’t drop below 10mph- which is the goal to stay at throughout the length of the hill. 
Yet, it was all for naught. Just at the first apex, the “false summit” as it were, just past the public bus bump-out, a school bus sat parked right over the bike lane with its “unlawful to pass” flashers on. Crushed, I pulled to a complete stop. Other cyclists behind me, piled up doing the same. Moments passed, cars started to pile up. None of us saw any children, and a lady next to me (I’ll call her 90’s neon jacket) commented that this shouldn’t even be a bus stop. Just then, the flashers changed to steady red lights and we passed on. 90’s neon noted that the driver was sitting in her seat texting. All that for texting! Moments later the school bus passed us, with the driver still texting as she passed. She pulled just ahead of us into a real loading zone, not on the bike lane, with her yellow lights flashing. She chose a much better place to sit. As we passed her, we saw her still chin-deep in her phone. Maybe I'll get to attack that hill tomorrow. 
Fremont Bridge Bike Count: 201