Altitude Information

What do I need to know?
The elevation of Evergreen, CO is approximately 6500-7500 feet above sea level. To put this in perspective, a commercial airplane is pressurized to an altitude of 7000-8000 ft. Colorado ski resorts are around 10,000 ft. Most people tolerate altitudes below 8000 feet with little or no problems. Twenty percent of people may experience mild symptoms of altitude illness at 6000-10,000 ft including: headache, shortness of breath, tiredness/fatigue, nausea and/or dizziness. Tylenol can help with these symptoms. Additionally, most people will have an increased sensitivity to caffeine and alcohol (good news for our booze budget!) and dry skin (bring moisturizer). Going from low to high elevation quickly will increase your chances of experiencing altitude illness.

For the flatlanders who are concerned about the altitude, here are few tips:

• Arrive early! Arrive in Denver (5280 ft) on Friday afternoon/evening and spend the night and next morning in Denver before traveling up to Evergreen for the wedding. This will give your body more time to adjust before ascending to a slightly higher altitude. If you have the time to arrive earlier in the week, this would be even better. Denver is an awesome city to explore!
• Drink plenty of water! This is the best way to help acclimatize. Altitude dehydrates you in two ways: low humidity (you are sweating but do not know it because it is evaporating so quickly) and low oxygen (makes your lungs work harder). Do not wait until you are parched to drink water, then you will be in trouble! Seriously, double your daily water intake, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Experts recommend 6-7 liters per day at altitude. DRINK DRINK DRINK (not that kind of drinking, then you will really be ill)!
• Take it easy! The decreased oxygen will make your body work harder. If you work out or just want to go exploring, take your time and don’t expect to be able to do the same distance/speed at altitude as you can at sea level.
• Carbo load! Carbohydrates help your body move oxygen through the blood stream. Avoid foods that are high in sodium and fat as these impede oxygen movement.
• Ginkgo Balboa? Ginkgo Biloba has been shown to speed acclimation to altitude and lessen the effects of altitude illness. Recommended dosage is 120mg per day, two weeks before arriving at altitude, then 120mg per day while at altitude. Details

If you're very concerned...

• Ask your doctor if medications for altitude illness (Diamox, Dazamide) would be helpful for you.
• Plan to sleep in Denver every night and drive to Evergreen just for the wedding (30-45 minutes from downtown Denver). Most people experience symptoms of altitude illness 12-24 hrs after arriving at that altitude. Reducing your exposure to the higher altitude to less than 12 hrs will significantly reduce the likelihood that you will experience altitude illness.

Other important information about traveling to Colorado:

• Pack for rain, wind, cold and hot. Most places have weathermen who predict the weather with a reasonable degree of accuracy. This is not case in Colorado. Weather in Colorado can and will change at any time without prior notice. There is no appeals process. The flip side is that we have 300 sunny days per year, so the chances of good weather are high!
• Dress in layers. Colorado experiences significant variance between daytime and nighttime temperatures. This is especially true at higher altitudes. A 30-40 degree difference between the high and low temperature is not uncommon.
• Sunscreen! Sunglasses! You are closer to the sun, which makes it more intense!

Disclaimer:
There are two serious conditions that rarely occur when people travel to high altitude. These occur most often over 10,000ft (we'll be around 7000 ft): high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Symptoms of HAPE include difficulty breathing, chest tightness, cough and fatigue. Symptoms of HACE include confusion, lack of coordination, stumbling and poor balance. Both of these are serious conditions. If you think you are experiencing either, descend quickly and seek immediate medical attention.