This is not about packing for a camping trip – that’s for someone else to tackle. [Check out intentionaltravelers.com – they have a great post on packing for a camping trip. I’m sure there are million others.] My idea of camping includes a condo with a bed, running water, and, most importantly, a coffee machine.
Avoiding Altitude Sickness
Altitude sickness is defined as an “illness caused by ascent to a high altitude and the resulting shortage of oxygen, characterized chiefly by hyperventilation, nausea, exhaustion and cerebral edema.” (so says google) Typically, one suffering from altitude sickness experiences headaches, a loss of appetite, and sleeping difficulties. It’s a serious condition and if it persists the best way to treat it is to descend to a lower altitude.
[Photo Credit: http://www.kiliadventures.com/uncategorized/you-know-altitude-sickness/]
Where to Stay in Crested Butte
Your options are numerous when it comes to accommodations in Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. CB is in the valley, and Mt. CB is at the mountain base where the ski lifts run (more about what to do in CB in a later post). Depending on where you want to set up camp, you may want to pick one over the other. No matter where you stay though, you have a free shuttle bus that runs between the two towns and a nicely paved path. This year we hiked from our condo in Mt. CB to town and it was about 3 miles.
How to Get to Crested Butte
Crested Butte isn’t exactly easy to get to, but there a number of ways to find your way to the mountain. Of course, the usual methods are obvious options – driving or flying. For some, driving may seem like an unrealistic option due to the distance, but it has a few advantages:
Going Back to Colorado
This makes our 11th year to visit Crested Butte, Colorado. Every year a number of people from Texas (okay, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people) make their way to Colorado for a short respite from the heat. There really is no other place like Colorado with its breathtaking beauty, cool air, and endless outdoor fun.
Over the next week I’ll post on the following topics to help you plan your next trip to the Rocky Mountains.