You'd be wise to change gearing to something lower.

And east to west usually = headwind

But you can't go wrong with a BOB. Make sure you're brakes are in tip top shape and don't go crazy on the downhills. Your rims will thank you. If the bike allows, mount a rear rack to carry quick access items like raingear, camera, cell, snacks. Everything else can go on the BOB. I added one medium size dry bag to the big BOB bag.
Good luck!