You didn't say what gears you were running other than it had a 3 speed transmission. The GM corporate rear end was a 3:90 but some GMC's of that era had a 3:07 which wouldn't be great with a load at that altitude. You may want to look at some lower gears for the mountain trips and add an overdrive for the freeway driving.
Fred


1956 3100 Pickup/Red/350/3sp OD/PS/Disc Brakes
1957 Bel Air Sport Coupe/Red/355/TH350/PS/Disc Brakes
2017 Silverado LT Single Cab SB/Black/5.3/6 Speed Trans
1947 Willys CJ2A w/F-Head engine