Last year, we received the recommendation to arrive to Denver a day early to allow our bodies to adjust to the altitude. Unfortunately, notice was sent after our travel plans were set. Can you post those recommendations to provide justification to our travel department?
Whenever I travel to Colorado to visit my sister in Breckenridge (not far from Keystone), I always make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. It's important to do this days beforehand and continue to stay hydrated while there.
Susan, each person responds to changes in altitude differently; some are completely unaffected, whereas others require significant preparation. After I attended InstructureCon in 2016, I realized that I fell into the latter camp, so I posted these recommendations in January 2017, and have shared the blog post here as well: InstCon2017[2018] Prep: Calling all flatlanders
I'm a south Mississippi girl and never, before today, thought of myself as a Flatlander. But, if the shoe fits...
Much thanks for the helpful information!
Here are some resources to show your boss, etc. If you are concerned, I highly recommended spending a day in the Denver area before going up...then spending a restful well hydrated (Acclimate or SmartWater) day before Wed main InstCon starts. Then take care and don't be going up to the summit on the gondola until the end of the week after you have acclimated a bit. It's another few thousand feet and the air gets thinner exponentially, not linearly. Your mileage may vary. Last summer I went up early for a week of vacation, it was awesome. I could sit at Lake Dillon and stare at the Rockies all day long
From Summit County (condo rental agency for Keystone area and many units in Keystone itself)
https://www.summitcove.com/keystone-colorado-travel-info/altitude-sickness-info/
They mean it when they say take the first 24-36 hours easier once up at Keystone. If you arrive up there Tues evening, then Wed morning running around to sessions and walking around might be a surprise. Of note - they have oxygen you can buy at the little stores. No shame, it can make you feel much better as well as staying hydrated with electrolytes.
How to prevent altitude sickness in Colorado (Denver Post)
NY Times --- a bit more of an alarmist tone... The Tricky Business of Treating Altitude Sickness - The New York Times
Thank you, Adrienne! This is the information I wanted. :-D
Funny thing is that I have spent my entire very long life at about 100 ft elevation, and have never had a problem at either Park City Utah, or Keystone. However, I have seen many folks nailed by altitude sickness at InstCons at either location.
Heed the warnings and suggestions posted at InstCon2017[2018] Prep: Calling all flatlanders!
Kelley
Glad to see this thread! I thought of this a few days ago. Being native Floridians who live 9 feet above sea level, we're worried about staying somewhere 1000x higher than that! My friends who travel for work said we should be okay, because we're driving from Miami to Keystone, not flying, so they said our bodies should adapt over the six day drive. (Taking our time getting there; turning the conference into our first real family vacation in years! Since I refuse to fly, driving it is!)
Yes, true that some of it is gradual because of driving. Once in Denver the climb to Keystone is 4500 feet or so and climbing in elevation is exponential oxygen loss, not linear. Consider taking a slow ride up to Keystone from Denver if you go up the same day you reach Denver. There are nice stopping places halfway on I-70 (also know you don't have to take Loveland Pass but can get on I-70 straight from Lakewood, CO). Idaho Springs and Georgetown are my usual stops to catch a break, find some mountain goats (each time I've found them!) and grab lunch. If you have the time and it's daylight, drive a little further to Golden CO from Lakewood...and go through Clear Creek Canyon on Route 6 to then catch I-70. It makes the drive a little longer, but it's gorgeous through Clear Creek! It's a "valley" so you aren't up high going around steep curves and looking down (like Loveland Pass) --- instead you are in a canyon on a twisty road that is still a slower speed limit and lots of pullouts along the creek. You can Google Map streetview it to see before driving. Tractor trailers are on it, so it's not insanely twisty. Have fun!
We'll be reaching Denver around lunchtime on the 23rd, and checking into the hotel in Keystone that day. We'll probably go through Clear Creek Canyon. We've driven in the Smoky Mountains on the twisty roads, and that was not fun.
Staying right on I-70 from Lakewood keeps you off the big passes (high up potential scary driving). You go through the tunnel UNDER Loveland Pass Google Maps will tell you to take Loveland Pass into Keystone. Instead, continue on I-70 to Silverthorne and get off at Rt 6. If you are up for more scenery and a detour...continue past Silverthorne and get off in Dillon near the Walmart...then take Dillon Dam Road back around Dillon Lake/Reservoir and onto Rt 6 to Keystone. If not then --- be sure you get over to the Frisco area at lease once via Dillon Dam Road around the lake with the Rockies at the backdrop. It. Is. Gorgeous.
In some places on I-70 it is a steep grade (going up and down). I just keep in the right lane and go the speed limit. If there are big trucks I just stay aware of not being in front of them going downhill. Coming out of the tunnel it's all downhill.
July is stormy season (wicked storms) so keep an eye on things once in Denver. Last year I delayed going up to Keystone a few hours for storms to pass, but they ended up blowing up real big right over I-70 and I ended up driving in pouring rain which developed into riverlets on the highway. Slow going, but not scary.
Clear Creek Canyon *is* twisty, but canyon twisty...cliffs and hills all around you and lots of kayakers and rafters. It's one of my favorite drives! Another good one is to go up to the Red Rock Amphitheater and drive around.
I'm serious - check out street view in Google. It's how I decided to NOT do Loveland Pass
HAVE FUN! I'm so excited to get up there now that I've written all that out!
We're actually staying in Dillon. My wife will be dropping me off at the conference center each day while she and our son go explore.
I've stayed in Dillon the last two years, and will be staying there again this year, Chris !
Really is just a hop, skip and no-jump up to Keystone from there, and no traffic to speak of.
Kelley
That's really helpful to know! I recently found out I'm attending this year- I live in Colorado but in the northern front range about 3 hours away from Keystone (and just moved here 2 years ago). So I'm not familiar with the area and was a little concerned about getting a place to stay.
Susan, each person responds to changes in altitude differently; some are completely unaffected, whereas others require significant preparation. After I attended InstructureCon in 2016, I realized that I fell into the latter camp, so I posted these recommendations in January 2017, and have shared the blog post here as well: InstCon2017[2018] Prep: Calling all flatlanders