Triple Tongue has some information for those of you coming from low altitude, to the hip, hashing and high altitude of Winter Park for the upcoming InterAmericas 2009.
Winter Park has a base altitude of 9000 ft. above sea level. This means there is approximately 1/3 less oxygen available to your body. If you have never experienced this before you are in for a real treat.
First of all and most important for Hashers, you will feel the effects of alcohol much more profoundly up here. That's right, you'll be a lightweight beer drinker and a cheap date. It would be wise to take it slow with the drinking of alcoholic beverages at first until you see how your body reacts as everyone reacts differently.
Next, you will feel light headed and out of breath at first (I know, most of you feel that way all of the time anyway) and you will breath deeper and more quickly. Perfect, increased respirations are part of your body adapting.
You will increase your volume of urine (pee more) as your body makes subtle changes to its blood chemistry and you will need to replace it with something other than beer. Gatorade or any other electrolyte sports drink diluted about 1/2 works well for this. Please hydrate with water or diluted sports drink first, and then drink beer if you must (and you must) or you will feel extremely ill and I will have to kill you. Remember, drink water before you feel thirsty. By the time you feel thirst, you are already dehydrated.
You may also experience slight nausea, headache and trouble sleeping. This means you are either pregnant, or feeling the altitude. Once again lots of water and electrolytes will help these symptoms. Avoid foods that have lots of fat or sugar as these tend to make you feel worse at high altitude. Stick to lean meats and complex carbohydrates, like beer.
Severe symptoms include a cough that won't go away, trouble catching your breath, pink sputum when you cough, constant severe headache, and severe nausea and loss of appetite. If you have any of these signs and symptoms, seek advice!
If you can arrive in Colorado a day or 2 before heading up to Winter Park your adjustment will be much easier as Denver is at 5,280 feet above sea level and is an excellent midway point to the high mountains.
If you have pre-existing conditions such as any cardiovascular or pulmonary problems, or even diabetes or other conditions, especially if they require medication, let us know before you get here so we can make a note of it in case something should occur. (Like drinking too much beer.)
I hope this information helps you have a better experience at the InterAmericas 2009.