Alternate route into Lake City, CO

Group I haven’t been active on here in a while but I figured this is the best place to ask. So we are going to Lake City, CO at the end of the month with our first stop in Raton, NM. Second day we can either take our tried and true route to Walsenburg across to Alamosa then South Fork and north through Creede into Lake City. Google offered a slightly longer route I’ve never driven through Walsenburg, Westcliffe, Salida, Gunnison down into Lake City.
We have a 38’ TT behind our 6.0 Ford Excursion that has been well tested and is our tried and true rig we’ve put many miles on.
My concern is if Hwy 149 on the alternate route is decent and any passes/switchbacks we might need to worry about. Always looking for scenic routes and new ways to see new sights. Any input?