When I made my reservations at Northwoods Resort, I asked the clerk about the
altitude - she told me it was 6,800 feet.
On Saturday, the San Diego club had a back country tour to an antique truck
museum and a railroad museum. On the return, several of us made a run up to
Mt. Laguna Lodge, elevation approximately 6,000 feet.
Yes, altitude makes a performance difference. One car which was running rich
at sea level really loaded up at height and was running pretty rough until
coming back down the hill. High altitude air has less oxygen by volume than
low altitude air, so with a sea level air/fuel mixture setting, combustion is
incomplete in the mountains due to oxygen starvation. So, you will want to
lean out your carburetion mixture for the elevation - just remember to
readjust when you get back down or you can cause some valve/piston burning.
Another thing to consider is radiator caps. Water boils at a lower
temperature at high altitude and the pressure can result in boil over even if
you are not overheating. A good cap shouldn't present a problem, but if you
haven't had yours checked lately, this is the time to do it or carry a new
spare.
Remember what changes you make, 'cuz you'll get to do them again next year for
SUNI III at Big Sky, Montana - I understand that's at about 8,000 feet!
"Ole" Olson
P.S. Be careful trying to pass slow moving traffic on the mountain roads - it
takes a lot longer (a whole lot longer) than you expect.
|