Elevation Sickness

[mac]

hey guys just wondering about hunters experiences out west with elevation sickness. please share your good or bad stories. Include the are of which state, what you were hunting , and how long you hunted and if you went out days before the hunt to acclimate. or took diamox. seems like below 6-7000 feet isnt too bad and can get worse from there. Thanks

[BizCT]

I have a lot of experience out there. My Uncle lives in Boulder, Colorado. The first day out there it can be tough to catch your breath if your running around, etc. Boulder is like 5,400 ft. When we head up into Estes Park and get to 12,000 - 13,000ft it can be a lot tougher to breathe. Some people get naesous, I never do, but it is tough to catch your breath even just walking up stairs at that elevation, and I am in good shape.

Most recently, I hunted in the Southern Arizona mountains at 4,000-8,000ft. The first day was pretty rough trying to catch my breath, but then again we did 13 miles on foot as fast as we could to follow the dogs (chasing mt. lion). After the first day I felt better adjusted and had no problems going forward.

In October, I am going to Buffalo, WY for a Mule Deer/Antelope hunt. This area is about 5,000ft. I am flying in the day before to have time to sight in rifles, etc. I think this extra day will also help with breathing.

Not sure where you live, but I am coming from pretty much 0ft. elevation.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[mac]

Thanks. I'm Westchester-flat ...so even at 5k feet there will probably be an adjustment to breathing.

[Elmo]

My only experience with altitude sickness came in Peru. I was at altitudes of 12K. Worst constant headache, nausea, had trouble breathing. I never adjusted. Funny because I fairly athletic but you have elderly couples who adjusted and were walking about just fine. It's disheartening to watch a 60 year old man walk circles around you while you're dying.

I tried chewing on coca leaves (yes, the plant that they use to make cocaine) and making tea out of it and that didn't help either. When I descended down to 7K feet, I was running up stairs and jumping off ledges but when I went back up to 12K feet again, I was bed ridden again. In the end, I tried another local remedy called soroche which travel guide books warmed me against but I could stand it anymore so I took the drug anyway. Soroche clear it right up. Though I still got tired easily, the headache and nausea were gone.

If you can hike 5-6 miles easily, don't think you can do so at high altitudes unless you've done it before. Also, don't assume if this person can do it, I can do it because it effects different people to varying degrees.

[BizCT]

Yup, everyone adjusts differently.

[mac]

Elmo, your Peru story is spot on with someone I work with who was there 2 months ago..10-12k feet and chewing the leaves, thanks

[Uncle Nicky]

It's no joke, I was on a hunting trip in Gila Forest (New Mexico) years ago when I was in much better shape, I got my butt KICKED. I think the elevation was 7-8,000 feet. By the 3rd day I was getting used to it (sorta). My advice would be get in the best shape you can, and if you go with a guide, don't try keeping up with him, let the guide go at YOUR pace. Some of those boys that live out there are 1/2 mountain goat.

[Lawdwaz]

I never had any real trouble, just normal "out of breath" stuff. One year we camped at 11,700' in Colorado on a DIY elk hunt. Hell, I was out of breath just pullin' my zipper back up the first couple days! I got used to it pretty good and each day we would hunt down below camp, not too far and it wasn't much of problem.

Hunted a bunch of other times in the 7,000'-9,000' range and all went well.

Kind of like sea sickness, some people get it, some don't.

My one and only (NOT) B&C bull elk, shot at less than 5,000' in elevation.............

[Rev Ev]

I went back home to Missoula. MT last fall after being gone for 2 years. Our house is at 3500 ft, but I hiked up to the "M" and it was only like 700 vertical feet, and it totally kicked my butt. Headache, nausea and not being able to get my breath made me think I was going to die. After being there for a week, I was fine enough. Did some more hiking without any problem. There are all sorts of home remedies you can try, but i think just haning out for a day or two will really help.

[Pygmy]

It is best to get at altitude a couple days early to adjust and try to take it fairly easy the first couple of days.

As others have said, everyone reacts differently when they get up where the AIR is RARE.

I barely notice 8K, but one of my partners is drastically affected at that altitude.

In the Gila Wilderness at 7-8K I barely noticed a difference...On a Colorado bowhunt camping at 10K and hunting up to 12K I was short of breath the first couple of days until I acclimated to it

Good luck !

[Dinsdale]

Nice Elk, Larry.

I've hunted 7-9000 a few times........never even noticed it; including just some hiking.

But even with that, higher could effect me; guess you don't know til' you get there for elevation.

I don't hear much even for us sea level folks like the OP stated for under 6k or so (unless there are some underlying health issues).......otherwise there would be a pile of bodies on Mt Washington; and folks walk up that in flip flops. LOL

[backbeach]

I have hunted in the San Jaun Mts Co 4 times and once in the Scape Goat wildernest in MT .

When I hunted in Co we would be 9-12 ft and after 10 I would get a massive headache the first night and follwed the guides suggestion drink plenty of water and I took ibruporpin and it worked,as for shortness of breath you can work through it .we had one guy who couldn't adjust .was sent down to 7000 ft.I had no problem in Montana at 5-6000ft except for a grizzly encounter.

Good Luck

[Top ramen]

I hiked Arizona a few times after flying in and mostly couldn't handle the climate vs elevation.

When I lived in Salem, Oregon (500 ft), in my twenties, and hiked and fished Bend, Oregon (3200-4000 ft) I could feel a change in performance. The trouble is that I was packing in so much hiking, fishing, dating, drinking, etc. into weekends that it may have been the life I was leading. When I returned to work I could relax.

When I was at Valley Hospital, Palmer, AK we had quite a few altitude sickness emergencies delivered to us. Most of the victims were older persons that wanted to fly to the base of mount McKinley in an unpressurized cabin of a bush plane. This wouldn't be exceptional but they typically spent a weeks time on a cruise ship prior to flying. These folks presented with headaches, nausea, and a few with flash pulmonary edema.

I now travel from Ohio @ 600ft to Ogden and Eden, Utah at 4900ft for school. I do notice some shortness of breath now that I am 37 and a little overweight.

[mxsmitz201]

i used to work in Yosemite National Park on the trail crew, and we used to hike miles in everyday carrying lots of equipment and elevation was anywhere from 5k to 13k depending on where the work was but all i noticed the first few days was shortness of breath and dizziness if i really over exerted myself.

but i will say when i went to colorado for the motocross de nations we were drunk/hungover just about the entire time and drove up mt.evens at 14,000 ft and we alllll felt the altitude sickness especially after going for a swim in the alpine lake thats just below the peak. i think our bodies were so spent from partying that it was 10x worse than it should have been lol