Acclimating for Second half of CT Question

[zjindra3]

A friend and I are from Wisconsin (<500ft) and are heading out to Colorado in exactly 3 weeks! We are both in extremely good shape but I was still wondering about acclimating. We will be backpacking sections 18-28 (starting at hwy 114 trail crossing). I know acclimating is something to pay attention to, so we're trying to do the best we can with the time we have.

We will be spending the good portion of an afternoon and tenting a night in Gunnison before heading out the next morning to the section 18 trailhead-- this should give us at least a little bit of time to adjust at about 7k feet. We are planning on taking the first day a little easier, again to adjust, and it will be nice to "only" be at 9k feet for a day or two.
On the second day we would like to climb San Luis Peak, but obviously we will see how we're feeling from the day and a half before.

Let me know what you think and if you think we will at least be "alright" with this amount of acclimation.
Thanks!

[Mags]

Hard to tell as it is different from everyone. You are spot on, though, about taking some time lower. Take it slow and be sure you are hydrated, too.


Have fun!

[Cookerhiker]

If I've read the guidebook correctly, the saddle for access to San Luis Peak in Segment 20 is 36 miles from your start in Segment 18. I know you said you're both in excellent shape but you also said you're taking it easy the first day. So it seems very ambitious to get to the San Luis side trail on Day 2, climb the mountain and return, and continue hiking on until you descend to 9,000' for your second night (per your desire). So are you descending from San Luis Pass down to Creede for your second night? If you're staying on the CT, your camp will be at least 11,500'.

I think what it comes down to is listen to your body and don't be hung up on having to make San Luis on your second day. Even if the first 3-4 days are slower, you can make it up in the end since you're in good shape. And as Mags stated, stay hydrated. Segment 18 is in the middle of what I call the "Dry Heartland" of the CT.

www.trailjournals.com/cookerhikerCT11

[zjindra3]

We are planning on taking the pace easy the first couple days, but I don't plan on the time we will be hiking those days to be much less than others. (Is this a bad idea?) We're hoping to be to the San Luis Saddle by day 2, but we'll see. I like having a basic schedule of approx start and finish but I've never really been a big fan of planning every day of a trip before we even start. We will be spending every night on the trail, so night #1 on the trail will be a little higher than desired, but there's not much we can do about it unfortunately.

[zjindra3]

Also, we are planning 10 days from Sect 18 to Durango, with room for an 11th day if necessary. This isn't overambitious if we have a couple bigger than usual days in there is it?

Thanks!

[Cookerhiker]

We are planning on taking the pace easy the first couple days, but I don't plan on the time we will be hiking those days to be much less than others. (Is this a bad idea?) We're hoping to be to the San Luis Saddle by day 2, but we'll see. I like having a basic schedule of approx start and finish but I've never really been a big fan of planning every day of a trip before we even start. We will be spending every night on the trail, so night #1 on the trail will be a little higher than desired, but there's not much we can do about it unfortunately.

OK, here's the math: 180 miles from Segment 18 to Durango averages out to 18 mpd. If your "taking it easy" means that you hike 18 mile days for Days 1 and 2, then you reach the San Luis saddle at the end of Day 2 where you then ascend from 12,600' to 14,000' and back again. So no matter how you slice it, you're camping on Day 2 at a very high elevation.

I think overall you'll be OK - just don't get hung up on doing San Luis on Day 2. I know that Segments 18, 19, and the first half of 20 aren't real difficult but you're still talking serious elevation for your first few days. Listen to your body and have a good time.

[Dogwood]

What they said. I don't know if all this will help ya but here goes. From the HWY 114 TH(there's a parking area on you right coming out of Gunnison just before(about 1/4 mile) reaching where the CT crosses HWY 114 a bit further up at the pass proper, if you pass a dirt road on your left at the top that's the CT, water next to that dirt road at the pass and also near the parking lot on Hwy 114) through Saguche Park to the Eddiesville TH and a bit beyond the CT hiking is rather easy IMO. Saguche PK, TO ME, is like walking through a park or old mostly deforested cattle field. Sect 20 gets harder. I'm just recalling this from memory though without CT materials in front of me. I two part hitched from Hwy 114 into Gunnison taking a zero at Wanderlust Hostel. As you get nearer the saddle(it's actually on the slope of San Luis Mt ) the hiking obviously gets a bit harder. Summitting San Luis is about as easy logistically and prolly physically as it gets summitting a 14er while on a CT thru or section hike like you're doing. I added it in on my CT thru. If I had brought my pack to the top and had H2O I probably would have slept the night at the summit. Though I was fully acclimtized. There's a small windbreak of rocks at the summit. Saying all that consider I carefully worked into my CT hike summitting three 14 ers. It obviously plays into the time factor allowed to do a thru or section hike. Depends exactly on your timing but you would be jumping up to 14 k second or third day out. Everyone is different though with acclimization. You might also consider, depending on your timing again, that you would be summitting a 14 er at the end of the hiking day after having done 16-20 miles of hiking. I will tell ya there are a few decent campsites(w H2O trickles), still at high elevation though, just as CH said, as you contour around below San Luis Pk within 3 miles after the saddle on San Louis Mt. If you do summit San Lous on Day 2 I would keep hiking south after summitting to get to a lower elev to camp possibly to San Louis Pass(you could camp here, there's a sign, you can get into Creede here, I think SLP is a bit over 12K). Depends on how you feel though

[bearcreek]

It is monsoonal weather in CO right now with a lot of electrical activity in the afternoons. I drove through Creede today around 1PM and it looked like the storms were raging up there. You will have a much better chance of summiting if you do it early in the day. Camp where you first get to the Cochetopa Creek on day one. It is 18 miles and easy hiking for the most part. I would suggest camping 7.6 mile past Eddiesville at the last of the trees on day 2 (14 miles). (troublesome bears in the area so hang your food) Get a early start and climb San Luis Peak then push on to camp at Spring Creek Pass on day three. (19 miles or so).

[Dogwood]

Bear Creek's scenario is along the lines of about what I would do IF in the OP's situation(just based on what's been said) and IF also making it a priority to summit San Louis. It's not normally my particular preference to do an additional 3500 ft or so elev. change(climb/scramble on loose shifting rock!) at the end of an already 18+ CT hiking day on DAY 2 of a 10+ day section hike when I just came to CO from WI. I would maintain my desired avg MPD pace later on in the hike by doing 2-3 above avg MPDs even if I had to sacrifice some un avg daily mileage on my summit day to do the summit. Just my take.

[zjindra3]

Thanks for the advice, guys! Last night I was looking at the itinerary a little more and I was also thinking summiting San Luis on the morning of day 3 would be the the best option. Like bearcreek said, it would be our best chance to stay out of any storms, and it would also force us to take the first couple days easier so that we can really acclimate. And like you said, Dogwood, it shouldn't be too difficult to make up some miles later on to get back on track for what we need to average in total.

How dry/wet are sections 18-28 now and expected in late August? I heard sect 18 is always very dry.
Also, is August 13-25 going to be out of monsoon season for the most part?

[Mags]

Fall *starts* to come to the high country by mid-late August.

The monsoon season should be tapering off by then..but, obviously, nothing is concrete. Later August as opposed to mid-August is going to be less likely to have the afternoon t-storms.

[rastayogi]

My brother is your age, from WI, and also a cross country freak, but backpacking at elevation is no joke though. Everytime he comes out hiking with me he gets terrible elevation sickness for the first 5-6 days. So just be ready for that. Plus keep in mind your first few days your pack is a bit heavier. Its "easy" to hike 20 mile days, but it isn't something you just start doing while at elevation, going up and down switch backs. Even if you are a stud. So just play it as you feel. I will tell you what though, if you feel sick, you really need to take it easy. He joined me at Kenosha Pass and for the first 5 days anything around 10,000 feet made him puke.

[handlebar]

Suggest a course of Diamox. It helps on avoid altitude sickness. You take it for two days before leaving then a couple days after reaching altitude. Check it our with your personal physician.

[Chaco Taco]

We had a tough time of it in July. Hydration and advil worked well.

[zjindra3]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Now I'm getting more nervous at the possibilty of altitude sickeness. We will do our best to "climb high, sleep low." Also, like I said earlier, we are spending a night in Gunnison (~7k ft) before getting a ride out to the section 18 trailhead in the morning. I'm hoping we are fine with that and an easy first day below 10k so we don't get sick and have our whole trip thrown off. Also considering Diamox.
Any other recommendations?

[bearcreek]

Diamox is extremely effective. It may make your extremities tingle a bit, but has few other side effects. I used it once to go from local elevation of 6600' to over 21,000' in the Andes and it worked extremely well. I would start a day or two before arriving, and take it several days after you arrive.

You should Google AMS, HAPE and HACE, and learn the symptoms of all three. Chances are you will be fine, but it's always good to be prepared. More people are airlifted from high ski areas such as Breckenridge for altitude related issues than for skiing injuries. Aside from pressure chambers, the only cure for HACE and HAPE is to go to a lower elevation.

[Chaco Taco]

Ill just throw this out there, I used PURE EDIBLES from a MMJ Disp. Ill wait for you all to stop laughing.
They are 10mg THC edible candies that you can take and actually worked very well for me. Helped with headaches and with sleeping. They dont really provide any sort of buzz, unless you eat a lot. Anyway, that is what worked for me. My wife ended up getting the sickness while we were in Copper Mtn and we held up for a day by a river, Found the High Altitude sickness meds that are sold in the stores OTC and they worked really well for her.

[rastayogi]

Ill just throw this out there, I used PURE EDIBLES from a MMJ Disp. Ill wait for you all to stop laughing.
They are 10mg THC edible candies that you can take and actually worked very well for me. Helped with headaches and with sleeping. They dont really provide any sort of buzz, unless you eat a lot. Anyway, that is what worked for me. My wife ended up getting the sickness while we were in Copper Mtn and we held up for a day by a river, Found the High Altitude sickness meds that are sold in the stores OTC and they worked really well for her.

yay I am going to try this on my friends. I never get sick, but I could see how edibles would be amazing. Cannabis is a miracle drug, with a bad rap.

[colorado_rob]

yay I am going to try this on my friends. I never get sick, but I could see how edibles would be amazing. Cannabis is a miracle drug, with a bad rap.

What "bad rap" does cannibis have? Not here in Colorado!!

My $0.02 on Diamox and acclimation: First, acclimation to Colorado altitudes seems to be a sticking point with lots of folks on here. Having lived in CO for 35 years now, I've had dozens and dozens of visiting friends/relatives from back east (Ohio, basically sea level), and not one single time did anyone have any symptoms of altitiude sickness when I've taking them hiking at 9-12K feet. Sure, some individuals do have slight problems, but this is really not something I would worry much about. As others have said, simply hydrate well and eat plenty of soft carbs. The occasional asprin or ibuprofen will help slight headaches. Sure, folks do indeed notice the lower oxygen levels! Less energy available for the body's use, simple thermodynamics.

If you plan on heading up a high 13er or a 14er right off the bat, you will be more likely to have AMS though. Big difference between 11-12K and 14K with respect to incidences of AMS (acute mountain sickness).

But: I do swear by Diamox for my big mountain climbs, and take it regularly when I climb above 17K feet or so, and even at 23K I've never experienced AMS. Is this because of Diamox? Who knows, because I've never climbed high without it to see how I would have done.

Here's the thing though with Diamox: It's main use is treatment for Glaucoma. Doctors generally know zip about medicines for High Altitude, so they simply prescribe the "usual" dose of 250MG twice a day, like they do for Glaucoma patients. This is a much larger dose than is necessary for high altitude acclimation benefits! A climbing doctor pal of mine has done research showing much lower doses reap good AMS prevention benefits, specifically 125mg twice a day or even less, like breaking a 125mg tab in two and taking two of those a day. The benefits of these low doses is the avoidance (or minimization) of the side effects of Diamox, like tingly fingers and the annoying diauretic effects.

When I first took Diamox I took the 250's and had all those damn side effects. Since then I've taken half of 125mg tabs and never had side effects, and again, never experienced AMS up to 23000 feet.

So, if you can tolerate sulfa drugs (Diamox is one), test this at home first to make sure you don't have a reaction to it and by all means, take some small doses (60mg twice a day) if you're worried about acclimating to the CO trail's mostly modest altitudes. If you're starting near the San Luis peak section and want to climb San Luis (a 14er), and you're not acclimated, either time it so you acclimate a few days or try Diamox.

'Nuff said, my two cents!

[zjindra3]

I'll be talking with my physician about hopefully getting some Diamox, because we can't afford any "down" days with the schedule we have set and with having to get back for school. All the advice is awesome, thanks!
I'm probably going to stay away from cannibis just because it's not really my thing