I remember driving over Poncha pass and thinking that it would have been an easier route to Alamosa. But it is interesting to get some facts suggesting that appearances can be deceiving. And while it was a closer connection to the "mainline" at Salida, I suspect most traffic was headed via Pueblo to Denver or points east so that the La Veta route was significantly shorter. Although that raises an interesting question about what traffic patterns "back in the day" were, and how they differ from the post WWII years we are more familiar with.
JBWX