The big question is, "How well do you do at altitude." My dad climbs the highest peaks in the world yet I start seeing spots when I ascend over 4000 ft in a stint.
Another vote for Kirkwood.
-snip-
Hwy 88 from Jackson (1200ft) to high of 8000ft and down to Silverlake (7250ft). At Silverlake I had my first support team waiting for me with all of my gear. Had I tried to make it fully loaded, I would not have been a happer campy.
I made great time up to about 5000ft with one stop at the Amador cafe in Pioneer. At about 5000ft I started to feel my brain synapses getting mushy. (Simple math was getting difficult). From 5.5k until 7k stops were frequent and my new 24x28 gearing came in handy. At 7k the road levels for a while until the last kick up to 8k. A quick down to Silverlake and I was done, 7 hours after I started. (I stopped a lot to take in the views, catch my breath and water.) If I tried to ride and drink I went into immediate oxygen debt.
As usual my body rebelled. I spent the next 2.5 hours collapsed in the RV. Each time I tried to raise my head a wee bit o dizziness overtook me. I was a bit creeped out with my resting heart rate it would not sink down to normal levels.
-end snip-
Later on in the trip I made a climb of 4300ft at 6% rising to 8650 at Cloudcroft NM fully loaded with no ill effects.
Last edited by escii_35; 02-12-09 at 11:32 PM.