mtm

Trying to catch nice colors while travelling w/my elderly mom. (so can't be hiking for colors) Have been concerned altitude levels in the mtns
just too great for my mom...
so have re-focused on closer to home, in Calif. or Oregon,
as an alternate plan. But even there, am surprised how
high some of our choices are for lodging well into the mtns.

Should we be concerned about altitude issues? (if staying
over night?) When I notice altitude at some of the lodging
we were considering, I'm growing concerned. One spot
is at 7000 ft. Another at 8000 ft.

I have a brother in Colorado who has no issues, but he's younger,
of course. He lives in the SW corner of CO near Telluride/Ouray.
Unfortunately, his area is even higher than some other
choices...more like closer to 9-10,000 ft. :-\ I know we could
stay in lower areas of Colorado, but he's been hurt that few family
have come to see his gorgeous corner there!

She's 86 and has had some arrythmia issues, previously. Altitude may
not cause any real/*actual* problems but I've heard it can create symptoms
in a person that mimic heart issues.

And I'd hate to have our trip become one stressed-out event,...where we're needing to rush help to my mom,out in remote areas! (obviously worried about an actual heart event the MOST...
but even if just a 'false' alarm...that's terribly, terribly stressful is what I mean)

Could anyone share more as far as how high an altitude likely
to be tolerated well overnight? (esp. in elderly or health compromised
individuals?) Thanks!

DebitNM

I only have a minute to answer this complex question.

"Just one night" is the biggest issue. It often takes a healthy, younger person a few days to acclimate to altitude. So a single night would really be exposing your mom to the greatest amount of risk.

I live near your brother, and many older folks here need O2.

The person to ask about this is your mom's doctor.

I take it this trip is for next year? Unless you are planning to be here in the next week or so, since we are already into full swing of colors.

Deb

nancythenice

Unfortunately, I think it is very hard to generalize about this. It is in so many ways dependent on the person. We have a place near Hoosier Pass in Colorado, sitting above 10,000. When my husband's parents joined us, we stopped in Denver at a medical supply house and picked up portable oxygen bottles - which Medicare paid for because the Dr. prescribed it. This was very easy and gave us and them some security. Neither uses oxygen at home in Texas but she has emphysema and he has a pacemaker. They both relied on the bottles heavily at the house, and he, in particular, seemed to sleep almost the entire time. But when we went driving around in the car, neither seemed bothered at all by the altitude. Breckenridge, only 16 miles away, is at about 8,000 feet - so that was easier for them. Leadville, which is very high, didn't seem to give them problems, however. Honestly, I thought it was primarily driven by whether they were thinking about it or not. She used the oxygen the entire time at the house, but later we found she mistakenly didn't even have it turned on! In some ways, I think they EXPECTED to have problems at the house, so they did. That being said, I don't think they enjoyed it much and although we wanted them to see the place, I wish we had just taken them to see it and then taken them over to a hotel in Breckenridge or something where they could sleep at night at a lower elevation. Remember, Denver is at 5,000 feet, and all kinds of people live there. I agree with previous poster, however, that your best bet is to talk to your Mom's doctor.

Dayenu

Colorado in this post, East Sierra in another post... What are you trying to do, get your inheritance sooner?

mtm

Thank you all for your help! Really appreciate it.
Thought I ran across this discussion in previous years,
and just thought I'd refresh my memory as to whether
I should go cautiously still with this. (and replies
here indicate...yes)

My mom almost *did* get a pacemaker, but thankfully,
they held off this January, and instead, were able to get
by just w/using paddles to try to put the heart back into a more regular rhythm. Anyway, for yrs now, I've balked at taking her directly to his particular high corner
in Colorado, despite its great beauty.

If she had enough time to acclimate slowly from Denver to then a Breck sort of place...and *then* to Ouray/Ridgway/Telluride altitude levels
things might be different. But that would only work if my brother were willing to be involved in hosting her or helping
her take that extra time to acclimate & thus far, I haven't really seen him offer to. (to extend her overall time there
over what I can do w/her due to vacation limits) Anyway,
thanks all! And, I agree...Dayenu...if I put my mom through
both of those trips, it *would* be a 'bit much.' ;-)

However, am just trying to decide what's more doable,
and feasible, right now: Eastern Sierra *or* Colorado.
Had hoped to do Canadian Rockies as the inns there are much,
much lower in altitude & you can see such beauty directly from one's hotel without even having to drive or hike much,
if at ALL. (if one just doesn't have the means to)

You can't beat the wide array of lodging & dining options in the very midst of grandeur like you can near Lake Louise/Moraine Lake...Banff/Jasper. But alas others in the family got into her head, that it would be harder to attempt, so I think she feels most comfortable w/the more local option of the E. Sierra, actually. Appreciated you sharing your experiences w/me. Thanks!

Ackislander

Talk to her cardiologist. Only s/he can tell you whether any of this is a good idea.