I live at 4500 feet and still had some altitude issues last year. It wasn't terrible, but the main symptoms were an ongoing headache and difficulty sleeping.
7th Annual 100s in the Hills *July 26-30 2017* Silverton·CO·USA·EARTH
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I live at 4500 feet and still had some altitude issues last year. It wasn't terrible, but the main symptoms were an ongoing headache and difficulty sleeping.
Are the symptoms bad enough to ruin the trip. I'd hate to come all that way and then just have to go back down the mountain.
I came from sea level in Arkansas. I made it a two day trip there. Stopping in Amarillo and Albuquerque. Both are higher than sea level that might have helped. Also, you can get everyone started on baby aspirin a couple weeks before. This year I am also going to have a prescription for everyone for Diamox. Me and my boy both had headaches while in CO, they eventually went away after a couple days, but we were SIGNIFICANTLEY hydrated. Like peeing every time we could while on the trail! I will be bringing my wife (a life long sea leveler), my oldest (went with me for HIH3), and my youngest (5 year old turd). I just want to be on the safe side with the prescription.
Diamox oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD
Thanks for the tip. So do you just tell the doc your planning a trip to CO in high alt and ask for the prescription? Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question but I tend not to go to the docs office much. Don't care for them.
No, I wouldn't let it dissuade you. It's really not that bad. Tape an aspirin to it and get out on the field!
Well....we just bought a 2004 Land Cruiser, and as I was "researching", I kept seeing images from this event. We're in Grand Junction, so not too far. Might just check it out. Ours is totally stock though, and not sure I can convince my Wife to let me put ATs on it yet though.
Hate to not have someone come, but we did see a couple of years ago that a few people got really sick. Sick enough where they had to leave the area. @paflytyer may chime in here with his advice on this topic. My kids and I from Phoenix have never had an issue, but I have seen it affect people. Unfortunately there is no way to really know without the exposure to it.
Your LC is clearly unsafe on those old tires, it would be irresponsible not to replace them.
An aside, I'm hoping to wrap up the weekend with an overnight stay in GJT to visit a college friend before the long drive home.
The BFG KO2s (285/75/16 for me, for your 2004 I assume you'd want 275/70/18 or 275/65/18) are excellent daily driver tires. My last set lasted 55k miles and were perfect for HIH last year as well as the other 99.9% of my driving which is just on the highway to and from work. Take off the running boards (you can always reinstall) and buy some BFG KO2s and enjoy that rig for what it was meant for!
I drove from PA last year, others from the east coast are on here too. I did it in 2 days, which isn't too bad alone. If you have passengers I can see them wanting to stop to get out of the car. Up to you.
If you've never had trouble with high altitudes before, you should be fine. Just drink lots of water, that's 1 thing that staves off altitude sickness. You'll feel it when you walk up stairs though!
That's the plan. I have a good relationship with my doc. No matter what, get and stay hydrated!
Thanks for the input everyone. I like the prescription idea at the very least just to make sure no one gets sick. Will just pack plenty of water for everyone.
I'm not sure I'd want to do it in 2 days but I think 3 would be doable. A bit over 8 hours of driving a day.
Thanks for the info. Yep, I hope to sneak new tires on it soon. Taking the running boards off is going to be a bit trickier. We needed a second vehicle for my Wife, and one that she could take folks out in to look at houses. Had to be 4WD, reliable, comfy, and we wanted to stay well under $20K. Anyway, she said just get whatever. That never happens! Well OK then! So we have a new to us 2004 Land Cruiser. We already have a 2002 Tundra AC that's our trail/camping rig, and is plenty beat up. That said...will be hard to convince her I need to do much modifying to the Land Cruiser. She likes the running boards, and thinks it's nice for when folks are getting in/out. Pretty sure Slee might make a nice substitute. Tires...I'll just tell her it's a safety thing.The BFG KO2s (285/75/16 for me, for your 2004 I assume you'd want 275/70/18 or 275/65/18) are excellent daily driver tires. My last set lasted 55k miles and were perfect for HIH last year as well as the other 99.9% of my driving which is just on the highway to and from work. Take off the running boards (you can always reinstall) and buy some BFG KO2s and enjoy that rig for what it was meant for!
I took my running boards off for a little while and my short wife (5'1") was not happy. I'm 6'3" so I didn't have a problem. She finally wore me down to put them back on but I was able to negotiate a set of step-sliders instead. I got mine from Metal Tech. I prefer the way they look over the Slee version but I know a guy that has them as well. They get the job done. Compare price and appearance.
Regarding tires, if your wife needs the 4WD, then the vehicle needs some decent Mud+Snow rated all-terrain tires. The 'standard' tire that goes on a US market LC is really just a glorified street tire that will quickly disappoint you if there is any mud or snow where she is driving. I'm a big fan of BFG AT. I've had two sets of KO and just recently put on the KO2. They are extremely durable and last a long time. I have never lost a sidewall to a sharp rock like many other All-Terrain tires seem to do. And I do all of my wheeling in NM and CO on trails that have lots of sharp rocks.
Obviously "quote" challenged.
We are from PA and my wife and two kids came two years ago. I had a headache and trouble sleeping, but that was from drinking too many beers and staying up late telling lies around the campfire!
Seriously though, we took two full days of driving to arrive to Denver, then joined the local gang heading down to Ouray. This was very manageable with older kids and long days in the car. We drank lots of water en route and once there and had no issues.
Seriously though, we took two full days of driving to arrive to Denver, then joined the local gang heading down to Ouray. This was very manageable with older kids and long days in the car. We drank lots of water en route and once there and had no issues.
For those of you coming from lower altitudes that are concerned with altitude sickness I would; first and foremost, recommend staying hydrated, I.e. lots of water. But there is also a product out there called Acli-mate. This was developed by a doctor in my town (I live at almost 9,000 feet) to combat the symptoms of altitude sickness.
I have not personally used it as I am pretty acclimated but it was a hit for many of the flatlanders that came to my town for my wedding.
Can't guarantee results but I have heard really good things. It's just a powder that you add to your water just like a sports drink. Again, I've only heard good things, so it might be worth checking out.
Ah, understandable. The running boards are hard to substitute. I have Slee Slider Steps and they look great, IMO, but they barely provide a step. It's better than nothing, but it's not as comfy as the stock running boards. That all being said, my sliders definitely seem to be "wife approved". She was not happy when I had the running boards off and nothing to replace them. Once I got the sliders (and installed some grip tape) there were no more complaints.
