Glad to hear you say it's a tough hill, I don't feel like "quite" as much a loser, lol. 😁 Last year, I only got to Canon City, so got around 70 miles further, this time. I might give up on hill climbing, and try some more "regular" touring. 😂
I got most of the way back to Cotopaxi already, gonna camp near a rest stop, that the rafters use. Watch out for those buses, lol.