@ Stachquatch: Ha! It's great to see another Washingtonian around here. I've seen quite a number of us hanging around these parts. I wonder just how many participants on these boards are Pacific Northwesterners.
@ gooki: Oh, sweet baby Jesus did I suffer "sore ass syndrome", though in my case, it was more like "Sore Entire-Nether-Region-Blowtorch-like Pain-All-Day" syndrome. I commute with a backpack and, when I started out, it contained all manner of stuff: A heavy bike lock, my pack lunch, rain gear just in case, a change of clothes, extra shoes, stuff for changing a flat, some water, some sunscreen, my gym wear, all in addition to the obligatory company laptop. It made those hills especially excruciating on the crown jewels and just about everything else in those parts.
Digging out an old, disused pair of bike shorts helped considerably, but now that I've toughened up and adjusted the bike to a more comfortable riding position, the pain is mostly a thing of the past!