Originally Posted by jazzy_cyclist
I notice that you have Topo 5 (at least the elevation profile comes from Topo 5). If you display both route and profile and run the cursor along the route, it will display the instantaneous grade in the stats box, and you can easily see the max and what you will encounter along the route - much more useful than an average.
The instantaneous grade in that program would be useful, if it were accurate. Sadly, it's not.
The only accurate way to measure grade over a short distance is to actually measure it in person with a gradiometer.