High Altitude Adventurers: Where did we get these rockin’ shirts?

By becoming a Colorado 14er Peak Steward you can have a shirt too. Did you know that Colorado has Peak Stewards? Well only about 34 people volunteer with Colorado 14ers Initiative (ONLY 34 PEOPLE!) to walk on the trails and peaks of our beautiful 14000 foot peaks. They help educate and protect these amazing natural outdoor areas.

The Colorado 14ers Initiative was established in partnership with the USDA Forest Service in 1994 along with five founding organizations: Colorado Mountain Club, Outward Bound West, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

The volunteers mentor travelers and regular hikers as well as take physical count of the activity and attendance on the trails. It’s important to know that with only 3 months a year to gather food for the winter, it is vital to the wildlife and their environment that they stay protected from unleashed pets and uninformed visitors. Daniel and Darren to the rescue!

Go to www.14er.org to learn more.
And always make sure you take Altigen when ascending your next mountain!

King of the Campfire

Our first camping trip of the season came a little late this year. We traveled southwest into Pike National Forest, about two hours’ drive from Denver. Smelter Basin is a lush area, fed by several streams and creeks, with alpine meadows bursting with color.

Knowing my history with altitude adjustment, which never fails to strike as headache and nausea within a half hour at high altitude, I began taking Altigen™ two days prior to our departure. My 8-year-old son also suffers the effects of altitude adjustment, usually manifesting as a persistent headache. He, too, took Altigen™ for this trip.

We arrived late in the afternoon, after a bumpy ride down Routes 62 and 119 in Clear Creek County. Water washed roads exposed sharp rocks and felled boulders, which made the road pretty hazardous. We bounced and swerved all the way in, about 10 miles into the pass and through a stream. Now, that alone is enough to make anyone nauseous!

The view was beautiful, and I could actually enjoy it. I wasn’t fighting a headache nor trying to suppress nausea. We set up our camp along a riverbank, the rushing water making a lovely soundtrack for our fun activities. For the first time, I was pitching a tent, not my sanity!

My son, too, was running around the campsite with our dog, playing in the stream, and proclaiming himself, “King of the campfire!” We increased our water and carbs, and ate lean meals to keep our energy up.

We took Altigen™ for both camping days, and never once felt like we were adjusting to altitude. We even snuck in a hike and a game of soccer! Now that’s what I call high-altitude camping! Our site sat at about 9,000 feet in altitude, and, in the darkness, I never would have known it wasn’t Denver, but for the mosquitoes and utter solitude.