There was an extensive discussion http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=1193 about hiking above the lifts at Silverton for those of us who live at sea level.
Recent experience prompts a few more observations. On our first day in Montana Patrick and I hiked the Ridge at Bridger Bowl, which is from about 8,100 to 8,600 feet. I anticipated little problems at this Baldy-like altitude. However, I had a flight and long solo drive the day before and Patrick was coming off several nights of short sleep. While I did not have overt altitude symptoms (headache, etc.) my legs became progressively more dead over the next 3 days. On Big Sky's steeps I had to stop and rest after several turns. I thought I would come back to life just skiing groomers at Targhee as that had worked at Deer Valley on the 4th day of an 11-day trip in 2001. But the only solution was for me to take a complete day off from skiing, the first time I've ever done that voluntarily on a destination trip.
While at Mammoth one of Garry's friends had a story about someone from L.A. who had gone to Aspen for 4 days and been persuaded to climb Highlands Bowl (~12,000) on his first day. He got about halfway up the hike, and by observation never recovered for the rest of the trip. So I think my earlier warnings about skiing Silverton early on a destination trip to SW Colorado are well founded.
On the positive side, I observe that altitude acclimitization also wears off gradually. After the 9 days in Montana/Wyoming I was much better than normal at Mammoth the following weekend, not having to stop at all on most of the steeper runs. And yesterday's steep hill climb with my dog Samantha was at the fastest pace in close to a year. My son Adam also observed that hikes above the lifts at Aspen/Snowmass 2 years ago seemed easier because he had been at Mammoth nearly every weekend over the previous 2 months.
Recent experience prompts a few more observations. On our first day in Montana Patrick and I hiked the Ridge at Bridger Bowl, which is from about 8,100 to 8,600 feet. I anticipated little problems at this Baldy-like altitude. However, I had a flight and long solo drive the day before and Patrick was coming off several nights of short sleep. While I did not have overt altitude symptoms (headache, etc.) my legs became progressively more dead over the next 3 days. On Big Sky's steeps I had to stop and rest after several turns. I thought I would come back to life just skiing groomers at Targhee as that had worked at Deer Valley on the 4th day of an 11-day trip in 2001. But the only solution was for me to take a complete day off from skiing, the first time I've ever done that voluntarily on a destination trip.
While at Mammoth one of Garry's friends had a story about someone from L.A. who had gone to Aspen for 4 days and been persuaded to climb Highlands Bowl (~12,000) on his first day. He got about halfway up the hike, and by observation never recovered for the rest of the trip. So I think my earlier warnings about skiing Silverton early on a destination trip to SW Colorado are well founded.
On the positive side, I observe that altitude acclimitization also wears off gradually. After the 9 days in Montana/Wyoming I was much better than normal at Mammoth the following weekend, not having to stop at all on most of the steeper runs. And yesterday's steep hill climb with my dog Samantha was at the fastest pace in close to a year. My son Adam also observed that hikes above the lifts at Aspen/Snowmass 2 years ago seemed easier because he had been at Mammoth nearly every weekend over the previous 2 months.