Day 3
No shit, there I was at 11,000 feet climbing over Toulumne Pass puking my guts out in between gasping breaths of air. I have altitude sickness and I have to drop altitude before it gets any worse. I am barely aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The headache is pounding so bad that I can only see a few meters in front of my feet. How did I get here? Oh yeah, its the annual fishing trip that instead of being on a river is in the high sierras of Yosemite National Park.
Day 1
Yosemites beauty is only eclipsed by its size. It takes 2 hours after entering the park just to get to our trailhead which is by no means in the middle of the park. During the drive as we gain altitude my breathing is becoming more and more labored and I begin to take deeper breaths. At first this is mistaken sighs as we pass natural wonders like Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan. At 8,500 feet, our staging campsite, walking across the campsite sounds like the final yards of my last 5k. However if I sit still I feel better so we build a huge bonfire and share stories while nipping Crown Royal until 1 a.m.
Day 2
I wake up at 4 a.m. coughing. Its a short 5 miles to the next campsite. I am still not acclimated to the elevation and pretty much feel delirious the whole time. It doesn't help that I have 75 pounds on my back. While I wish I could ditch the extra weight I think of the only thing I did forget..a pen to make notes on my map. I am mocked the whole trip by people asking me if I want to write that down?
At the camp I set up my tent and lay down, the only time I feel better. Everyone else goes fishing. A nice and low thunderstorm travels overhead long enough for everyone to come back to camp and compare fish stories. On average everyone is catching 15 fish. That night we have our last open fire, and while everyone else stargazes I stick by the fire and go to bed early.
Day 3
I wake up feeling better. The pack is heavy as we begin the hardest part of the climb, a rocky scramble over Toulumne Peak. As we begin to reach 11,000 feet I stop talking. I can't speak without big gulps of air between words. It is just awesome the mountains and snow and the way the sun strikes the land. Just over the top I puke and then start to feel nauseous. I can't stop coughing. I have to climb one more unnamed peak to reach the campsite. However the slope is covered in snow, glacial run off and more mosquito's than I have ever seen. I am the last one over as I need to take breaks due to headaches and tunnel vision.
Reaching camp I find the two youngest members of our group have gone looking for me on the ridge, to help me down. Stupid mistake. I was already with someone and to just leave without a plan or my whereabouts could have been costly. Then they compound their stupidity by splitting up. Each makes it back a short time later. The rest of the day is spent lying down and setting up camp. That night we watch a storm pass over another area of the park. The moon climbs over the pass to the east and we mark time by the illumination of Mt. Fletcher right across from our campsite. A most amazing night. We tell each other jokes, movies quotes, point out shooting stars and constellations and nip at our flasks.
Day 4
I wake up nauseous but feel well enough to travel a few miles to Vogelsang Lake. I also get to fish Lake Fletcher on the way and catch my only two fish of the trip, two Brook trout. At Vogelsang it was so amazing. The fish were in a spawn and kept to the inlets which were shallow enough to just watch them. We all tried to fish them but to know success. My drag my lure over a 14 inch rainbow several times, but not interested. Coming down from Vogelsang we run into small groups of hikers who are also on the trail. Surprisingly most of these are young women. Its a very cold night at altitude, getting to around 25 degrees. The wind is so noisy that I wear ear plugs to get what little sleep I can.
Day 5
We have been camping on the south side of Townsley Lake, below Mt. Fletcher at about 10,200 feet. I wake up coughing and nauseous again. Since crossing Toulumne Pass I have not stopped deep breathing. Its an effort to simply move. Half the party decides to fish Hanging Basket Lake. Without a map you would never know this lake existed. It is literally suspended in the air, nestled between Mt. Fletcher to the west and the rise to the east. A saddle of area between the two provides the back of Hanging Basket Lake. I can not afford to climb the several hundred feet so I hang back at camp with my godfather and we discuss the fact that I simply must drop altitude before I get worse or a clot develops. Luckily the lake was frozen and unfishable so the decision is made that its time to get out early.
Everyone has been complaining about the mosquito's which are hanging around us like a curtain. Truly the worst any of us have ever seen. Also the fish just are not biting on the lakes like we expected. That seems to be the vocal reason to leave but its understood that I need to get down. Everyone in the group has had altitude sickness at some point in their hiking days, some much worse than what I am exhibiting on this trip, so there is no derision or joking. Everyone is genuinely concerned.
Its 9 miles to the trailhead and about an hour down I start to feel much better. By 90 minutes I feel amazing the best I have felt in a long time. Now that I am getting extra oxygen my body feels completely invigorated. I decide to stick to my godfather and walk out with him as he had reconstructive surgery on his ankle and even though he felt great he wanted to be gentle on the ankle.
We reach the trailhead, do a quick change and hit the burger stand a few minutes away at the ranger station. I have a double hamburger, fries and beer from the six pack Gordy buys at the store next to the burger joint. We get back to godfathers in Porterville at 11:30, sort out gear and I hit the bed at 1 a.m. I wake up at 5:30, shower, say goodbye and head for Phoenix.
Day 6
I decide to surprise Mistress and Mighty Mo so I don't call them, they expect me home on Tuesday, not Sunday. They both are happy to see me when I get home. I plan on spending my free day with Mighty Mo
No shit, there I was at 11,000 feet climbing over Toulumne Pass puking my guts out in between gasping breaths of air. I have altitude sickness and I have to drop altitude before it gets any worse. I am barely aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The headache is pounding so bad that I can only see a few meters in front of my feet. How did I get here? Oh yeah, its the annual fishing trip that instead of being on a river is in the high sierras of Yosemite National Park.
Day 1
Yosemites beauty is only eclipsed by its size. It takes 2 hours after entering the park just to get to our trailhead which is by no means in the middle of the park. During the drive as we gain altitude my breathing is becoming more and more labored and I begin to take deeper breaths. At first this is mistaken sighs as we pass natural wonders like Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan. At 8,500 feet, our staging campsite, walking across the campsite sounds like the final yards of my last 5k. However if I sit still I feel better so we build a huge bonfire and share stories while nipping Crown Royal until 1 a.m.
Day 2
I wake up at 4 a.m. coughing. Its a short 5 miles to the next campsite. I am still not acclimated to the elevation and pretty much feel delirious the whole time. It doesn't help that I have 75 pounds on my back. While I wish I could ditch the extra weight I think of the only thing I did forget..a pen to make notes on my map. I am mocked the whole trip by people asking me if I want to write that down?
At the camp I set up my tent and lay down, the only time I feel better. Everyone else goes fishing. A nice and low thunderstorm travels overhead long enough for everyone to come back to camp and compare fish stories. On average everyone is catching 15 fish. That night we have our last open fire, and while everyone else stargazes I stick by the fire and go to bed early.
Day 3
I wake up feeling better. The pack is heavy as we begin the hardest part of the climb, a rocky scramble over Toulumne Peak. As we begin to reach 11,000 feet I stop talking. I can't speak without big gulps of air between words. It is just awesome the mountains and snow and the way the sun strikes the land. Just over the top I puke and then start to feel nauseous. I can't stop coughing. I have to climb one more unnamed peak to reach the campsite. However the slope is covered in snow, glacial run off and more mosquito's than I have ever seen. I am the last one over as I need to take breaks due to headaches and tunnel vision.
Reaching camp I find the two youngest members of our group have gone looking for me on the ridge, to help me down. Stupid mistake. I was already with someone and to just leave without a plan or my whereabouts could have been costly. Then they compound their stupidity by splitting up. Each makes it back a short time later. The rest of the day is spent lying down and setting up camp. That night we watch a storm pass over another area of the park. The moon climbs over the pass to the east and we mark time by the illumination of Mt. Fletcher right across from our campsite. A most amazing night. We tell each other jokes, movies quotes, point out shooting stars and constellations and nip at our flasks.
Day 4
I wake up nauseous but feel well enough to travel a few miles to Vogelsang Lake. I also get to fish Lake Fletcher on the way and catch my only two fish of the trip, two Brook trout. At Vogelsang it was so amazing. The fish were in a spawn and kept to the inlets which were shallow enough to just watch them. We all tried to fish them but to know success. My drag my lure over a 14 inch rainbow several times, but not interested. Coming down from Vogelsang we run into small groups of hikers who are also on the trail. Surprisingly most of these are young women. Its a very cold night at altitude, getting to around 25 degrees. The wind is so noisy that I wear ear plugs to get what little sleep I can.
Day 5
We have been camping on the south side of Townsley Lake, below Mt. Fletcher at about 10,200 feet. I wake up coughing and nauseous again. Since crossing Toulumne Pass I have not stopped deep breathing. Its an effort to simply move. Half the party decides to fish Hanging Basket Lake. Without a map you would never know this lake existed. It is literally suspended in the air, nestled between Mt. Fletcher to the west and the rise to the east. A saddle of area between the two provides the back of Hanging Basket Lake. I can not afford to climb the several hundred feet so I hang back at camp with my godfather and we discuss the fact that I simply must drop altitude before I get worse or a clot develops. Luckily the lake was frozen and unfishable so the decision is made that its time to get out early.
Everyone has been complaining about the mosquito's which are hanging around us like a curtain. Truly the worst any of us have ever seen. Also the fish just are not biting on the lakes like we expected. That seems to be the vocal reason to leave but its understood that I need to get down. Everyone in the group has had altitude sickness at some point in their hiking days, some much worse than what I am exhibiting on this trip, so there is no derision or joking. Everyone is genuinely concerned.
Its 9 miles to the trailhead and about an hour down I start to feel much better. By 90 minutes I feel amazing the best I have felt in a long time. Now that I am getting extra oxygen my body feels completely invigorated. I decide to stick to my godfather and walk out with him as he had reconstructive surgery on his ankle and even though he felt great he wanted to be gentle on the ankle.
We reach the trailhead, do a quick change and hit the burger stand a few minutes away at the ranger station. I have a double hamburger, fries and beer from the six pack Gordy buys at the store next to the burger joint. We get back to godfathers in Porterville at 11:30, sort out gear and I hit the bed at 1 a.m. I wake up at 5:30, shower, say goodbye and head for Phoenix.
Day 6
I decide to surprise Mistress and Mighty Mo so I don't call them, they expect me home on Tuesday, not Sunday. They both are happy to see me when I get home. I plan on spending my free day with Mighty Mo
8 comments:
Wow, that sounds a little scary, since I have never experienced this kind of sickness. I am glad you made it back okay. Can't wait to see the pictures!!!
Yes, what a story... Altitude sickness, hordes of mosquitos in the day and freezing temps at night. Good thing you had your flask! Any more of these trips and we might have to call you Commodore Krakauer!
Dude, you had me at altitude.
Glad to hear you pulled through... and like the Fman above, lookin' forward to those pics... epic!
Wow, I would have never imagined being sick from altitude, but I can see how that would hit you now! I really like the blow-by-blow you have here, nice and compact and still detailed enough so that there's a solid feel for how things went. I'm going to LOVE these pics, I can't wait to see them!
brother,
this is why i NEVER go camping. the kahuna sticks to the luxury hotels at sea level.
I have also experienced altitude sickness - pounding headache, nausea, and crying for no reason were my symptoms. I don't think I was very pleasant to be around.
I have also been to Yosemite, but not nearly so far off the beaten path. Sounds beautiful, I wanna go back.
Wow. Reading articles about altitude sickness is one thing but your first hand account is another. Glad to see you made it out OK.
so glad you are ok. after being at 4500ft. for almost 20 months, i still struggle somedays to feel "normal" (i grew up at sea level). what you had was definately scary. good thing the fish weren't biting, it made it easier to leave. great report. hope you feel better. have a blast this weekend in O.C.
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