staehpj1

Yeah, it was nice going W-E. If you hit it as early as is reasonable weather wise and when McKenzie pass is first open there is a good chance of missing too much smoke and having decent weather until the heat and humidity in the east. With my luck there is usually hot weather regardless or whether it is supposed to be or not. The headlines seem to be "Record Heat Wave" wherever I go on tour.

I've done something almost like that. Not fun at all.

pdlamb

Sometimes it seems pretty random when you feel the altitude and when you don't.

Going west, I had more trouble with Togwotee than I did at Hoosier Pass, despite Hoosier being some 2,000' higher. Approaching Hoosier, I had a rest day in Canon City (if you can call it a rest day with a half a day of whitewater rafting), overnighted the next night at Guffey (8,500' or so), and then cruised into Breckenridge with no more trouble that that kind of climbing incurs. Before Togwotee I had a real rest day in Dubois, leaving about 3,000 feet of steady climb to the pass. One might think a week or so over 5,000 feet, including 3 nights over 8,000', would have made Togwotee a comparative walk into the park, but 'twasn't so.

tcs

While riding a couple of Colorado passes last summer, I saw folks (assuming day riders, since they didn't have dunnage) with little personal bottles of oxygen. Hmph. I'd never seen such a thing - but then it's been several years since I rode the high passes. Checking the internet (and if you see it on the internet, it must be true), the jury still seems to be out on the efficacy of retail supplemental O2.

Anyway, if anyone is put off by climbing and all these breathless tales of trans-American cycletouring, they might try the 'flat' route with a maximum elevation of ~8500 feet on Sherman Summit just east of Laramie, Wyoming:


On this route, the Pacific/Atlantic Continental Divide is crossed at South Pass, Wyoming @ ~7400 feet.

cyccommute 

For some it can even vary by trip. Just because you’ve done rides at altitude before doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll react the same way in the future as seen below

If you are just going to Frisco to walk around, what you say is true. But if you are going to Frisco as a start to a loaded tour or any other aerobic activity, where you are putting in more effort than just walking, the lower altitude at Frisco is still going to have an impact.

I’m pointing out that the rise from Pueblo to Hoosier is a gentler climb over all. Similar altitude rise over a longer distance equals an easier climb over all.