When John Denver wrote the words Rocky Mountain High Colorado, He must have been talking about Leadville; this is the highest incorporated city in America. Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains at 10,152 feet. Lake County is the home of Colorado Mountain College, Mt. Elbert: (the highest peak in the Rockies) and home to the highest disc golf course OH YA! This will also be my home for 6 glorious weeks.
On my last trip 6 years ago, I attended C.M.C. As an Outdoor Recreation Leadership major, I had a comfy, furnished 1 bed apt. in the middle of town. This trip will be a little different; Once again I will be going to C.M.C., this time for a Fly fishing guide course. I will not have the luxury of an apartment, out of state tuition is a…. well, you know. Therefore, I will be spending 6 weeks hanging from a tree in the San Isabel National Forest. During these next week’s I will be giving an account of how my Hennessey hammock holds up, my progress as a fisherman, the length of my travel companions beard and anything else that maybe of interest. I hope you will pop in once a week and follow this adventure. Before I sign off I will give a few helpful hints to anyone thinking of following a similar path this summer.
MAKE SURE YOU ACCLIMATIZE, STAY HYDRATED, DON’T FORGET ZINC OXIDE.
These are the most important thing I can stress. HACE and HAPE are not just an Everest problem. I will be leaving an elevation of 4,373 and Mountain sickness can start to occur at 8,000. For those who do not know about these illnesses I have posted the definition from wiki below. Follow the links and educate yourself a little.
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche, is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low air pressure (usually outdoors at high altitudes). It commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (approximately 8,000 feet).[1][2] Acute mountain sickness can progress to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE).[1][3] A related condition,[citation needed] occurring only after prolonged exposure to high altitude, is chronic mountain sickness, also known as Monge’s disease.[7]An unrelated condition, although often confused with altitude sickness, is dehydration, due to the higher rate of water vapor lost from the lungs at higher altitudes.
The first signs are headache (this could also be related to dehydration so stay hydrated) Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, insomnia.
With all that out of the way let me end on a positive note.
Happy Camping,
James