Early morning, Keystone, Colorado, high in the Rocky Mountains: Friend dashes upstairs yelling to his wife and I, "Get your cameras!" We grabbed and dashed. "There's a moose right. . . it was right there!" A spot about 100-150 feet from their front door. Smack in the middle of a glitzy 100-plus unit condo development.
So we took off after Mr. Moose, aiming to shoot him (with cameras, of course). Preferably with telephoto lens. You never want to get too close to Mr. Moose. Mrs. Moose, either.
We chased that stupid, obstinately disappearing moose for the better part of an hour. Through the condo complex, over a few meadows, through a couple of parking lots. No moosie-moosie.
Instead, we found the local Sheriff. She'd been chasing Mr. Moose in her Sheriff's car for over an hour - since just about dawn. She parked at one point, opened her trunk, and pulled out some strange orange thing with vivid bold capitals, "LESS LETHAL." Don't want to know what that was, or what "less" lethal means, even in moosie-moosie terms.
She warned us to beware the moose, and call her if we spotted him. We were only interested in telephoto-range sightings, we assured Mademoiselle le Sheriff.
Never found Mr. Moose. Not a glimpse. Not finding Mr. Moose was very disappointing. Chasing Mr. Moose? Priceless.
Also breathless - high-altitude chase, you know. There's no way a human can outrun a moose, especially at 11,000 feet. He's used to it, and very well altitude-adjusted indeed. Humans end up oxygen-starved and panting. But it was fun anyway.
May your road rise to meet you - and may you catch up with your Mr. Moose!
Ann
Showing posts with label altitude adjustment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label altitude adjustment. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
How to Cope with High Altitude
Well, it certainly pays to check out racks of travel and tourism brochures! There's home delivery of oxygen to cure what ails you in the high Rockies. How nice of them to list several tips for acclimatizing to such an environment. Some of them are new to me, so let's list them all here for you.
* Avoid maximum physical exertion for the first 1-2 days
* Catch up on sleep
* Stay hydrated with sports drinks
* Limit alcohol and caffeine
* Limit time in hot tubs
* Eat small low-fat, high-carbohydrate meals
* Eat dinner at least 3-4 hours before bedtime
So far, I'm needing at least two days to get used to the altitude. By which time, I'm leaving! The car is loaded up with bottled water, vitamin-water, green tea. Sports drinks, with all those electrolytes, are something I'd missed. The high-carb diet is another unfamiliar tip.
Starting to feel a bit better, though still in need of another nap before dinner. Horizontal remains the only good position to be in for the moment. But there's so many exciting things to tell you about, I'll be back after a bit of a rest!
May your road rise to meet you - with helpful hints along your way!
Ann
* Avoid maximum physical exertion for the first 1-2 days
* Catch up on sleep
* Stay hydrated with sports drinks
* Limit alcohol and caffeine
* Limit time in hot tubs
* Eat small low-fat, high-carbohydrate meals
* Eat dinner at least 3-4 hours before bedtime
So far, I'm needing at least two days to get used to the altitude. By which time, I'm leaving! The car is loaded up with bottled water, vitamin-water, green tea. Sports drinks, with all those electrolytes, are something I'd missed. The high-carb diet is another unfamiliar tip.
Starting to feel a bit better, though still in need of another nap before dinner. Horizontal remains the only good position to be in for the moment. But there's so many exciting things to tell you about, I'll be back after a bit of a rest!
May your road rise to meet you - with helpful hints along your way!
Ann
Some People Are Not Meant for Mountains!
There are so very many things to write about - including surprises and the spectacularly delicious! - at the moment. I can't breathe. Can hardly sit up. Totally horizontal is the only position where my heart is not pounding so loud it must be heard all the way to the Himalayas.
Denver altitude was a tough adjustment, not met within a couple of days. Despite some articles to write, beer tastings were conducted very cautiously. Tiny sips, savored long on the tongue, rather like wine-tasting. Drunk on low-oxygen, alcohol was totally unnecessary. More about Suds City to come as despite little sips, as opposed to desired "big glugs," ooh-la-la, there's lots to share with you!
And don't forget a bigger surprise . . . coming as fast as fingers restart proper functioning.
Yesterday, it was up into the mountains. Darling Little Baby-Car was not particularly happy about it, but made it. Not so sure yet about my survivability of another 24 hours way up in the mountains. Worse, it's snowing. Supposed to melt by tomorrow, and it better. Ski season has not started, won't with this piddly-bit, and I wouldn't be joining anybody on the slopes anyway. Skiing is not my thing. Seems just plain old mountains in general aren't, either.
We each have our sense of some ideal location where we feel most at home. Seashore, prairie, mountains, desert, forest or rainforest - even out to sea - whether we're at home or traveling, that's the sort of environment we tend to seek. That's "the kind of place for me," whoever's talking. We each tend to feel more comfortable, at home, in a certain kind of environment.
It's a good thing all 7.3 billion of us don't want exactly the same thing! But mountains are definitely not for me. Himalayas? Probably never go there since it tops a very short list of "places I will not go." They're better viewed from a distance, towering over northern India, while I stay where the air still has some oxygen left.
Headed "downward" tomorrow, and I'll breathe easier then. Meanwhile, a little rest, and try to write some more or I'll never catch up with everything there is to talk about!
May your road rise to meet you - but not to-o-o high!
Ann
Denver altitude was a tough adjustment, not met within a couple of days. Despite some articles to write, beer tastings were conducted very cautiously. Tiny sips, savored long on the tongue, rather like wine-tasting. Drunk on low-oxygen, alcohol was totally unnecessary. More about Suds City to come as despite little sips, as opposed to desired "big glugs," ooh-la-la, there's lots to share with you!
And don't forget a bigger surprise . . . coming as fast as fingers restart proper functioning.
Yesterday, it was up into the mountains. Darling Little Baby-Car was not particularly happy about it, but made it. Not so sure yet about my survivability of another 24 hours way up in the mountains. Worse, it's snowing. Supposed to melt by tomorrow, and it better. Ski season has not started, won't with this piddly-bit, and I wouldn't be joining anybody on the slopes anyway. Skiing is not my thing. Seems just plain old mountains in general aren't, either.
We each have our sense of some ideal location where we feel most at home. Seashore, prairie, mountains, desert, forest or rainforest - even out to sea - whether we're at home or traveling, that's the sort of environment we tend to seek. That's "the kind of place for me," whoever's talking. We each tend to feel more comfortable, at home, in a certain kind of environment.
It's a good thing all 7.3 billion of us don't want exactly the same thing! But mountains are definitely not for me. Himalayas? Probably never go there since it tops a very short list of "places I will not go." They're better viewed from a distance, towering over northern India, while I stay where the air still has some oxygen left.
Headed "downward" tomorrow, and I'll breathe easier then. Meanwhile, a little rest, and try to write some more or I'll never catch up with everything there is to talk about!
May your road rise to meet you - but not to-o-o high!
Ann
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