Climate Change Conference in Colorado

Getting High In Colorado | 06 Oct 2006

Let me just start with, no I did not go on a weed smoking getaway. However, upon my arrival and for the first couple of days in Keystone I did experience feelings of lightheadedness, dizziness, lack of energy, shortness of breath, constant dry mouth, and tingling hands and feet. What was the cause if it wasn't some drug making me high? It was the elevation.
Ah the hubris of it all. Coming from the base of the Rockies at home I turned up my nose at the warnings of elevation sickness. Those American wussies I thought to myself as I read the pamphlet cautioning visitors to drink lots of water and to avoid exertion. Oh how I would be shamed when I myself felt all wonky and could barely walk the couple of blocks from our hotel to the conference centre. I would also later eat my words when I found out that Keystone sits at 9300 ft above sea level. Compare this with Calgary that sits at a paltry 3440 feet. Um yes, I guess that would explain why I consumed 5 litres of water on my second day as though I were a humpback camel come back from a long desert trek.
I guess I should be thankful that my initial disregard didn't get me into trouble. Although, I should think that some hallucinations brought on by the lack of oxygen might have been somewhat entertaining. And blue is my favorite color. ;)
Anyway... On the first day we spent our morning and afternoon at the Keystone Centre (photo below) which had a spectaclar view. The speakers and activities were incredibly inspiring (no our speakers weren't really cross-dressers, those were costumes from a skit).
In the evening I went on a small walk around the village and snapped some photos of the surrounding wildlife.

Locations Visited: Keystone

Add Comment

Comment Policy:

Only signed in members can comment on journal entries. Please sign in now or register if you would like to leave a comment. Comments are sent to the owner of this journal for approval before being made live on the site.