Colorado Where to ski @ Denver for those that have altitude sickness at Abasin?

[gilligan]

I agree with the other posters who suggested Steamboat. It's a nice mountain and town and the base is 2100 feet lower than Winter Park. It also has non-stop flights from Ft Lauderdale and Atlanta. I avoid DIA whenever possible especially in the winter.

 

[chilehed]

+1 on the Diamox.

It's pretty common for there to be a breakpoint altitude where things suddenly start getting a lot harder. Coming from about 600 feet, the first day I'm fine in Empire (8600) but run out of breath pretty easily in Dillon (9100).

Most of my trips out there have been for work; we fly out, go straight up to Dillon the first day and there's no way to properly acclimate. Diamox helps a ton (if you're not allergic to sulfa drugs), but even after ten days Abasin is tough.

Much better is to take a few days working your way up, playing high and sleeping low. A couple of years ago we drove out, camped at ~6,000 feet and every day hiked at 1,000 feet higher than the day before. Didn't have any diamox, but by the end of the week we were running around at ~12,500 and I felt fine.

 

[Keys2Ski]

Others will chime in on the mountains but one thing that would help is to fly into Denver and stay 2 days there if possible to adjust to the altitude.

WP is a good 4,000 feet lower than A-Basin so that should help. Steamboat would be even lower but not very close to Denver.

I live at sea level, but will most likely be extending a week long trip from Phoenix Az so my sinuses will be adjusted to the dryness…that’s a bonus

 

[Keys2Ski]

I agree with the other posters who suggested Steamboat. It's a nice mountain and town and the base is 2100 feet lower than Winter Park. It also has non-stop flights from Ft Lauderdale and Atlanta. I avoid DIA whenever possible especially in the winter.

One nephew ( hydrogeologist) works for army corp of engineers and will be based in Denver. Other nephew will fly in from Chicago. I’ll be in Phoenix with my mom for a week. So we were looking for something close by. I believe steamboat was a 3 hr drive from Denver with good weather ?

 

[Keys2Ski]

You didn't say where you spent the 1st night. Did you ski the same day you arrived? If so, that might be itself a problem, one you can avoid by flying in later in the day and spending the night in Denver before driving up the next day.

I never ski the same day as arrival since it takes forever to get out west. I’m 52 and travel takes a bit out of me now as opposed to my 20’s

 

[mikel]

When I saw you mention you were coming from Phoenix I was going to suggest Purgatory but the subsequent posts cleared that up.

As others have suggested the easiest drive and closest to Denver with the ability of sleeping at a lower altitude is Eldora. It's like an hour and a half from the airport and maybe 40 minutes ( definitely traffic dependent ) from lodging in the Boulder area. The base of Eldora is still above 9,000' but it tops out below 11,000' and sleeping in the boulder area gets you below 6,000'.

Personally I would make the drive to Steamboat weather permitting but that's just me. The drive can be miserable during a storm.

 

[crosscountry]

In 1988 we drove from Michigan to Denver, and then eventually skied ABasin. I had to come down the mt by noon. In 2008, I flew into Denver, stayed in Frisco and drive up to ski. Had to come back down within a few hrs. It was horrible flu like symptoms with the awful feeling of about to vomit at any given moment.
I’ll be in Taos in Feb. 2022 staying at base this year ( stayed about a mile down the mt a couple years ago). I’m able to fly in the night before and can sleep @ 8000-9000 feet, but skiing above 12500 is difficult. I live at sea level ( Florida keys )

Sleeping at 8000-9000 takes a lot out of many people. You don't know you're not taking in enough O.

Skiing above 10,000 is noticeably harder. I remember panting like a caged animal at the top of Breck. It takes several days to acclimatize. These days, I go to Keystone or Copper as my first stop. Leave A-basin till a couple days later when I'm more acclimatized.

The last couple trips I drove. I spend the 1st night at Denver. At 6000', it's a good half way point.

 

[Keys2Ski]

+1 on the Diamox.

It's pretty common for there to be a breakpoint altitude where things suddenly start getting a lot harder. Coming from about 600 feet, the first day I'm fine in Empire (8600) but run out of breath pretty easily in Dillon (9100).

Most of my trips out there have been for work; we fly out, go straight up to Dillon the first day and there's no way to properly acclimate. Diamox helps a ton (if you're not allergic to sulfa drugs), but even after ten days Abasin is tough.

Much better is to take a few days working your way up, playing high and sleeping low. A couple of years ago we drove out, camped at ~6,000 feet and every day hiked at 1,000 feet higher than the day before. Didn't have any diamox, but by the end of the week we were running around at ~12,500 and I felt fine.

Oh no! I do have issues with sulfa drugs…I get a rash on day 5 of all things

 

[givethepigeye]

Try some Diamox....

Or Excedrin Migraine - not sure why, but works for me.

 

[pchewn]

I visited Fraser and skied Winter Park a few years ago. I live at 300' in Portland Oregon. Skiing was no big altitude problem, but sleeping in Fraser was very unpleasant and I had to drive down to Denver to recover. It was weird, but the sleeping was much worse than the skiing at altitude.

Based on my experience, I'd choose the lowest altitude lodging possible and ski wherever....

 

[JoeSchmoe]

Based on my experience, I'd choose the lowest altitude lodging possible and ski wherever....

I get something called altitude induced Cheyne-Stokes breathing were I stop breathing in the middle of the night. It's awful.

I have very mild obstructive sleep apnea but I use a CPAP because I snore very loud. Cheyne-Stokes, is different because my brain shuts down my drive to breathe which is known as central apneas. It kicks in about day 3 at altitude and I dont really sleep anymore until I come down out of the mountains.

 

[Keys2Ski]

I’ve used gingko in the past… anyone else have good results

 

[Jim Kenney]

I’ve used gingko in the past… anyone else have good results

I have not, but I did have some success with Diamox about ten years ago on 2 or 3 trips from flatlands to CO. Funny thing about altitude sensitivity is that, at least for me, once you have experienced it, that doesn't mean you'll always get it on return trips. I seem to tolerate it better in my old age than when I was middle-aged, but that might be because I don't charge as hard, or maybe because I drink more water and usually sleep first night near Denver, etc. I haven't pursued a prescription for Diamox in about ten years.

 

[MikeW Philly]

I visited Fraser and skied Winter Park a few years ago. I live at 300' in Portland Oregon. Skiing was no big altitude problem, but sleeping in Fraser was very unpleasant and I had to drive down to Denver to recover. It was weird, but the sleeping was much worse than the skiing at altitude.

Based on my experience, I'd choose the lowest altitude lodging possible and ski wherever....

Your body naturally adjusts to breath faster when your awake which somewhat helps you adjust. Until your body is acclimated though, when asleep. you revert to your normal breathing patterns which is partly why sleeping is so hard.

It’s partly why those oxygen machines are good for you at night. The extra O2 is only good for when your using it but your body is more likely to need it while you are asleep.

 

[focker]

Thoughts on spending 1 night in Denver and 1 night at a condo in Dillon before skiing vs spending 2 days/nights at a condo in Dillon/Frisco before skiing?

Would the night in Denver help more?

 

[Prosper]

Skiing above 10,000 is noticeably harder. I remember panting like a caged animal at the top of Breck.

You just need to ski the 1st 1000' of vertical faster so you can get to more oxygen a bit lower down.

Funny thing about altitude sensitivity is that, at least for me, once you have experienced it, that doesn't mean you'll always get it on return trips. I seem to tolerate it better in my old age than when I was middle-aged, but that might be because I don't charge as hard, or maybe because I drink more water and usually sleep first night near Denver, etc.

Best predictor of future altitude sickness is previous episodes of altitude sickness. Of course, there are no guarantees.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Thoughts on spending 1 night in Denver and 1 night at a condo in Dillon before skiing vs spending 2 days/nights at a condo in Dillon/Frisco before skiing?

Would the night in Denver help more?

Not a medical doctor, but from my experience - yes. Stay in Denver on first night if convenient to your plans. If it means wasting a night already paid for in Dillon, then I'd go up to Dillon and just take it easy the first 24 hrs.
As was suggested by others, you could try getting a prescription of Diamox from your doctor. I used it a few times with seemingly beneficial effects.

 

[focker]

Not a medical doctor, but from my experience - yes. Stay in Denver on first night if convenient to your plans. If it means wasting a night already paid for in Dillon, then I'd go up to Dillon and just take it easy the first 24 hrs.
As was suggested by others, you could try getting a prescription of Diamox from your doctor. I used it a few times with seemingly beneficial effects.

I may try the Diamox for my wife. I do fine when skiing, but struggle with sleeping at night. Once I'm booting up, the adrenaline takes over.

 

[crosscountry]

You just need to ski the 1st 1000' of vertical faster so you can get to more oxygen a bit lower down.

And waste the best part (and the only reason to be up high) by "get through" the less oxygenated part in a hurry, only to ski the lower elevation?

 

[focker]

And waste the best part (and the only reason to be up high) by "get through" the less oxygenated part in a hurry, only to ski the lower elevation?

I think he was joking there...