Hi Chris, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question, and hope that your starter has finally managed to rise after all your efforts! Patience almost always pays off when it comes to sourdough starters, so persistence is certainly warranted. However, the behavior you describe (early robust rise on day 2, followed by a small amount of bubbling but no further rising) is a familiar pattern that I doubt has to do with your altitude. This sort of activity seems to be related to a type of bacteria that can be present early in the sourdough creation process. This bacteria gives off carbon dioxide, which causes the early rise you noticed. Unfortunately, the presence of this bacteria also seems associated with a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in, which can go on for several days or even weeks in some cases. I would recommend checking out this article by microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink, who noticed this phenomenon and devised a sourdough starter recipe that discourages this particular bacteria, and allows for a more timely emergence of the wild yeast. I like Wink's method because it uses very little flour in the beginning of the process, and allows you to convert to whatever starter routine you want, once the starter is rising predictably. If you decide to return to our sourdough starter recipe I would recommend gradually transitioning from wholegrain flour to unbleached all-purpose flour over the course of several feedings. 

I hope this helps. Let us know how it goes! 

Barb

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