F Vail

[tirolski]

Yeah, pretty hard place to enjoy without acclimating first.

When I skied June 5th at A-Basin, the only time ever skied out west, my fingers started going numb on the drive up from Boulder where stayed for a meeting. Stopped more than ever on the runs down the mountain. It’s an amazing place to ski @ in June. Skiing was good, but there were little streams of water on trails at the bottom to avoid.
Fuck Vail is a term of endearment, allegedly.

 

[Benny Profane]

One time I went out there and skied Loveland the first day, looked up at chair 9, and said, c'mon, there's powder up there, because it was closed for a two day "storm". So, I immediately go up to 13000 feet and struggle through windblown for an hour or two. That night I had a very bad attack of altitude sickness. Almost considered the ER.

Takes me a month to start feeling good. You really have to live there year round and do a lot of hiking and biking to do a lot.

 

[Bandit]

Yeah, pretty hard place to enjoy without acclimating first.

Went to Winter park last year for a long weekend. Flew out Thursday night, skied Friday-Monday then flew back.

Have been to mammoth and Tahoe plenty of times with no altitude issues whatsoever but the winter park trip hit me real hard, probably since I had no time to acclimate.

We arrived about 2am Friday morning to the condo after a delayed flight, got a couple hours sleep and was on the mountain for first chair. Skied hard all day, felt pretty good. Had dinner and 2 beers then it hit me. Worst I’d ever felt. Pounding headache, stomach ache, threw up, just terrible. I even drank a lot of water before and during the trip but it didn’t help.

Saturday morning I woke up feeling great somehow! Hit it hard at the mountain and had the same experience that night. Felt terrible! Sunday morning I woke up feeling great again and I was fine Sunday night as well.

So I think in my case if I was able to stay in Denver for a day or 2 that would have helped a lot. But, the skiing was great, the feeling terrible was worth it and I’ll do it again!

 

[Harvey]

2 beers

The times I've been out west, I didn't drink. Still have issues sleeping above 10k but not too bad.

 

[raisingarizona]

What’s a lot of water for you guys?

I ask because over the years I’ve really noticed that people from the east generally don’t understand the amount you need to drink at elevation in these dry climates out here. I’ve had quite a few incidents with tourists fainting and falling and it’s often a combination of altitude, dehydration, not enough good food and or medication use or lack of. Throw in the stresses of traveling and you have quite the recipe for a situation.

Alcohol obviously intensifies that.

for a reference, I can easily clear a gallon a day without exercising

 

[ScottySkis]

What’s a lot of water for you guys?

I ask because over the years I’ve really noticed that people from the east generally don’t understand the amount you need to drink at elevation in these dry climates out here. I’ve had quite a few incidents with tourists fainting and falling and it’s often a combination of altitude, dehydration, not enough good food and or medication use or lack of. Throw in the stresses of traveling and you have quite the recipe for a situation.

I drink over 50 ozenez of water a day all year round

 

[Benny Profane]

Yeah, I even bought one of those small camelbacks to wear under the parka. Still, though, it's tough.

Why Whistler can be more fun. 2000 at the base, 7000 at top. But, not exactly light powder. Hell, it rains a lot.

 

[raisingarizona]

My best idea or advice is to pre-game hard before your trip. Start hydrating 5 or more days in advance with at least a gallon a day. More is probably better. Make sure your iron is clear in color and keep it that way.

I’ve had tourists pass out on me and afterwards tell me that they’ve been drinking water as they hold up a half drunk 12 oz plastic bottle and that was probably all that they had in 24 hours. You guys have humidity out there, it’s dry out here and that dryness is constantly pulling the water out of your body. It’s literally a battle to stay on top of it. I hear ya Benny, I’m used to it and I think it’s a pia.

 

[Ripitz]

When I bartended in Big Sky we would have just off the jet flatlanders that would get crushed real quick. They would slam a couple martinis and order a third. They weren’t driving anywhere and we would ask, “Are you sure? It’s a little different with the altitude up here and I want to make sure you enjoy your time skiing. How about some water?”. “I’m on vacation, give me another. I drink these things all the time”, they would reply. Sure enough one more sip and it would hit them like a ton of bricks. We’d call the hostess in the dining room to “escort” them to their room and have a bellman follow close behind to make sure the drunk was safely delivered. Happened all the time.

 

[Harvey]

When I did hut-to-hut I pounded the water (at least a gallon) for a week before and had no drinks for the same time period.

The last night of our trip three (guide and two sports) split one of those big Fosters. We were kind of shitfaced, but felt fine the next day.