<p>To begin with, let me state: I’m from Florida originally and I like my nice thick air and flat vistas. However, I like DH too, and he wants me to come to Colorado with him in August. This would/will be a 4-5 day trip. We’ll be based in Denver but DH wants to drive all over the place, including a drive up to 14,000+ feet. (A drive, not a strenuous hike.) The highest I’ve ever been is 9000 feet (Bryce Canyon in Utah). What’s the word from those of you who’ve been there/done that, but at high altitude? I’ve read about it and know that the drive should be close to the end of the trip, after we’ve been in Denver for a couple of days, and that we should drink lots of water and come down if we feel ill. Any other advice?</p>
<p>(Please, please, someone mention “Stay in the hotel and have a facial…”)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about the drive too much since you’ll just be sitting in the car. I assume you’ll be going up to the top of Pike’s Peak since I think that’s about the only way you can drive to the altitude of 14K feet. They have an observation post up there to see. It’s amazing how cold it can be up there when it’s hot at the base. If you’re really going to Rocky Mountain National Park instead, I don’t think the road actually gets as high as 14K feet but it’s been a while since I’ve been there.</p>
<p>And don’t hang around in a hotel getting some facial - get out and drive around and see the countryside! Make sure your H doesn’t ride the brakes down the mountains. I used to see this a lot from cars with plates from the flatlands (and could smell the brakes too).</p>
<p>The Mt. Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in the US. The highest continuous paved road is in Rocky Mt. National Park.</p>
<p>The views from the road to Mt. Evans are indeed very beautiful. The drive is also scary at parts, for a flatlander. It’s a two-lane road all the way to the top. </p>
<p>There are two ways to get to it off I-70. Either take the Evergreen exit onto Hwy. 74 and pick up Squaw Pass Rd. which will eventually take you straight to Mt. Evans or (for the more chickenhearted) take the Idaho Springs exit. Either way, it’s a gorgeous drive. I prefer the Evergreen route although at the higher elevations there are a few drop-offs with vistas that are breathtaking (no guard rails). You’ll see more alpine meadows that way, though. From either route, the road eventually passes above the tree line (10,000 ft.). Stop at Echo Lake at the end. It’s a beautiful setting. You can choose to continue on to Mt. Evans Rd. (It’s only open 'til Labor Day.) There are some places you can stop to see the unusual alpine plants, and you’ll probably see many mountain goats (elk are at lower elevations in the summer). It’s on Mt. Evans Rd. that you’ll encounter a VERY scary switchback (a road up the side of a mountain with hairpin turns; again, no guard rails).</p>
<p>Coming back to Denver, either take 74 through Evergreen and Kittredge (a pretty drive through a canyon) and end up at Red Rocks Park (a unique and famous open-air theater) or 40 off of I-70 down into Golden. That ends in a switchback which is truly terrifying (for me), but you can reward yourself with a tour of the Coors brewery. </p>
<p>The air is thinner at the higher elevations, but if you’re in good physical shape you shouldn’t have a problem. I’m a Floridian, and I would recommend you grit your teeth (you can always close your eyes if your H’s driving! ) and enjoy the ride. IMO the best time is late September through early October when the aspen leaves are turning, but in August you’ll probably still see some of the columbine in bloom. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Did you have any elevation sickness at 9,000 feet? I think this would be a good test for whether or not elevation is a problem for you. I get terrible elevation sickness and try to not go above 7,000 feet anymore. My son also gets terribly sick and was miserable at Machu Pichu.</p>
<p>I was stuck on a backcountry horseback trek in Utah a few years ago that had a base camp at 10,000 feet and I thought I was going to die–nausea, dizziness, disorientation. It didn’t get better as the week wore on either, but I couldn’t figure out how to get out of there without disrupting the whole group. I just rode my horse like a zombie–am luckily a very good rider so could do that on automatic pilot. When I researched the severity of my symptoms after I got home, I realized I was lucky I didn’t in fact die.</p>
Agree. We used to live in Evergreen at about 9000 ft., had many people from out of state visit but only one who was okay in Denver (7200 ft.) but got sick at 9000.</p>
<p>Just make sure you drink huge quantities of water and take some ibupropen. Headaches abound at high altitudes. Otherwise, can I go with you?
We go to Colorado a lot and it takes a couple of days to adjust to altitude in terms of daily life and longer in terms of exercise. You will love it.</p>
<p>Altitude sickness is physiological and not just a consequence of dehydration. If you experience serious headaches or nausea at altitude, you need to come down to where you’re not experiencing it. It can get worse and you can, in fact, die if you stay at altitude.</p>
<p>I have altitude sickness and as I get older it gets worse. I now start to get headaches at 7000 feet and above 12000 I am miserably sick. My son wanted to be an astronomer until he discovered he has altitude sickness too–he was miserably sick on a trip to the Hawaiian observatories.</p>
<p>You mention a previous trip to 9000 feet–how did that go? Did you have headaches or nausea? </p>
<p>I love Colorado and would not hesitate to go there and stay at low altitudes–up to about 7000 feet I’m fine, which covers most of the state. But if you’ve had previous altitude sickness problems, I wouldn’t drive to 14000 feet.</p>
<p>the highest drivable road I have been on was only 7000 ft & IMO drivable is an opinion. Three miles of unpaved, one land road clinging to the side of a cliff is not my idea of a good time.</p>
<p>I have a Jeep , the older men who were co-chaperoning with me thought I was a wuss.
It was beautiful- not as clear on the day we went, but I was so much happier when we went back down</p>
<p>Pikes Peak at least sounds wider. I agree though that altitude illness is personal and something to take seriously.
A friends nephew recently had a bad case in Nepal when he didn’t want to bother the others with how ill he was feeling.
You have to watch out</p>
<p>This is coming from someone who owns a refrigerator magnet of a woman lying in a comfortable bed thinking to herself “I love not camping”: stay at the hotel and get a facial. :)</p>
<p>I don’t find 7 to 8000 feet much of a problem, though I once had a horrible toothache from a recent filling going to that altitude suddenly. (Flew in.) I think if you take a few days acclimating it will be helpful, but back when I was young I found that any altitude over 10,000 made hiking more difficult. Standing up quickly resulted in light-headedness, I was more prone to headaches, the backpack was heavier. But if you take it easy and tell others if you are having problems you’ll probably be fine.</p>
<p>Warning - don’t take I-70 back into Denver on a Sunday afternoon. This has got to be the absolute worse traffic I have ever seen outside a major city. Go back on a Monday if possible. </p>
<p>The high altitude affects some people, but not others. I have used Diamox when at a high altitude. Your Dr. can give you a prescription. Observe the warning signs - if your extremities start to tingle - stop taking the medication.</p>
<p>This is a good website about high altitudes:</p>
<p>And take some motion sickness tablets with you also. My D has a terrible time with the switchbacks in the Colorado mountains and usually just goes to sleep as she gets so nauseous on the drive.</p>
<p>A correction: Denver is at 5200 feet, thus the “Mile High City” moniker.</p>
<p>Altitude sickness is something people who aren’t acclimitized sometimes get when they are exerting themselves at altitude, not usually just riding in the car. The road up Mount Evans is winding and a little exposed in places, so you may feel motion sickness, and confuse it with altitude sickness! It is very safe, paved, and is known for it’s amazing potholes. Altitude sickness is characterized by a headache, most commonly, so you might want to bring your favorite headache remedy, just in case. And, although not caused by dehydration, that can exacerbate it, so be sure you drink fluids, and I don’t mean alcohol, as that is dehydrating, of course! </p>
<p>Don’t miss this drive! Bring your camera for the views and the likely sight of mountain sheep on the way up. If you feel good on the summit, explore a little. There are beautiful vistas every direction. Do bring warm clothes and a rain jacket, just in case.</p>
<p>If you see groups of cars pulled over on the side of the road STOP! Usually people pull over when they see something interesting. One time it was a baby moose with its mama in a pond by the side of the road!</p>
<p>In Laws live at 9,000 ft, and have made many trips to Colorado.</p>
<p>From their advice, and experience with many visitors who get ill at high altitudes.
A day in Denver when flying it allows people to adjust.</p>
<p>So driving should give you plenty of time to adjust.
In- Laws warn against alcohol, early in trip, and caffeine.
They suggest drinking water, but not massive quantities, stay hydrated.
Also, I don’t think fitness level is related to being able to adjust. Very conditioned people can suffer from this.</p>
<p>I, personally,experienced nasty, altitude symptoms for the FIRST 24 hours after flying in from the flat land of Southern NJ. </p>
<p>You will be find driving with time to adjust. Don’t miss out on this spectacular
part of our country. We flatlanders can enjoy the “high” life if we are careful!</p>
) and enjoy the ride. IMO the best time is late September through early October when the aspen leaves are turning, but in August you’ll probably still see some of the columbine in bloom. Enjoy!</p>