Everything is different at high altitudes and these 8 tips will help you and your family acclamate without losing any precious activity time!
- Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses – the sun is stronger at altitude.
- Be prepared for rapidly changing temperatures by bringing extra clothes – warm days often bring cold nights – even in July.
- Wear plenty of sunscreen and remember to reapply often – proximity to the sun means sunburn comes quicker.
- Prepare for wet weather by bringing a jacket – weather in the mountains can change from cloudless to cloudburst – and back – quickly.
- Drink lots of fluids – especially water or non-carbonated fluids – and be sure to ask you kids if they need a restroom break often.
- Bring extra food on excursions – sometimes an outing can last longer than expected so be prepared and stay nourished.
- Don’t be fooled by clear river water – beautiful streams can hide an awful parasite called giardia. Symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue.
- Pace yourself by moderate physical activity – less oxygen at mountain altitude means less oxygen with every breath and hard work for your heart.
Speaking of memories, remember Skippers? Yo-yo’s? Hula Hoops? Jump ropes? All these retro toys still exist and are as fun as ever. You can still play and have fun without standing in front of your television. I know: weird, but true. There’s also Shrinky-dinks, Spirographs, Play-doh and Colorforms. I can still picture me and my buddies peeking through the glass window of the oven as our Shrinky-dink creations shriveled up into fantastic versions of our artwork. Those were good times.