[superchow]

Slightly off topic, but possibly interesting: Quite often I skip gears when accelerating from a light or stop sign. Say start in 1st gear, shift as soon as possible to 2nd, then accelerate in 2nd fairly briskly to around 25-27 mph and then shift to 4th @ 1500 rpm. Same works from 3rd to 5th. It may not be more efficient (don't have a scangauge) but I make use of the higher revs for better acceleration when merging. Then it is also more natural to keep the throttle open wider on a higher gear trying to keep up the acceleration.

Keep in mind that you lose 3% power for every 1000 ft above sea level. So that's almost 5000 ft for you, right? 15% less hp right away. I know I can feel it when heading into Idaho/Wyoming. Experiment with higher octane gas to allow the engine to advance it's valve timing and give you more torque at lower rpm (or rspm?). It may actually give you more miles per dollar than regular unleaded.

Good luck! I am keen to hear more about your high elevation experiences/experiments.