"If this doesn't work I may trade the bike in on one with a V-Twin motor." --Don Johnson

I don't have a face palm pic serious enough! (Yes, I ride motorcycles also.)

Some numbers assuming 700X35 and a bit of rounding off:
26/34=21.03 GI (now)
24/34=19.41 GI (proposed)
24/36=18.33 GI (proposed + 36T in cassette)
22/34-17.8 GI ($$ swap to mtn crankset plus required items $$)

A 20 GI granny is the most often recommended (lower doesn't hurt, of course) granny gear I've read. My T700 has a 20.8 GI granny that so far has stood me well. I'm also sure that there are some hills that I'd need to walk whether I went to a lower granny, or not. The change from the 26T to the 24T isn't much, but maybe enough.

Brad