Sounds like a nice commute - don't sweat the hill (sorry, very bad pun) just enjoy it as far as you can, and walk the rest. I have a section that I am not yet going up. It was irritating me for a bit, and then I figured that I enjoy walking as much as riding that section, so relax. With all the lose rock, it is pretty treacherous, so pushing wouldn't be wise.
The key is enjoyment - the key to car commute is doing it fast, since it isn't particularly fun.