For everyone coming out to Cortez I have a couple of words of advice: Drink lots of water and stay hydrated!!!!

The sun and high altitude will affect you more than you might imagine. Swig lots of water, especially every time you make a stop. Some of the passes are near 12,000 feet and you don’t get as much oxygen, so you’ll need to move a little slower and drink the water to help avoid altitude sickness (headache and nausea). Alcohol and smoking can make the sickness worse, so keep this in mind if altitude sickness hits.