I usually check where the climbs land relative to the good stuff. If going clockwise means I hit a pass in the morning when I'm fresh and still get the valley views before camp, that settles it. Same loop walked the other way can feel like a totally different trip even when the miles are the same.

Four months and 37 scribbles later, sounds like you just needed a place to put stuff.

Read somewhere that people usually forget the commute but never forget the paycheck.