Living at 11,000 feet? (Denver, Colorado Springs, Vail: extended stay, real estate, rentals)

[lpmbc387]

We are currently looking at purchasing a vacation home about 9 miles outside of Breckenridge, in a neighborhood near the base of Mt. Quandary. The home's elevation is at nearly 11,000 feet, and although we currently live at 7,329 feet in Colorado, I'm a little bit nervous about how we will all acclimate on our trips up there, not to mention when we bring friends and family with us. We have never had any problems when we stay in mountain towns (Breck, Vail, etc.), but have never stayed at quite this elevation for any length of time.

Does anyone live in this area that can shed some light on the conditions at that elevation? We LOVE the house and the location, but this is constantly in the back of my mind.

Thanks!

[reed303]

There is an old thread at http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...-400-foot.html that discusses the issue.

It would be interesting to say the least, especially the thunderstorms.

There is a reason hikers like to start early, and get down early, from high elevations.

[lpmbc387]

Originally Posted by reed303

There is an old thread at http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...-400-foot.html that discusses the issue.

It would be interesting to say the least, especially the thunderstorms.

There is a reason hikers like to start early, and get down early, from high elevations.

I had found this post before, but it's pretty old (almost 10 years old) and the development he is referring to is the same where we are looking to purchase our vacation home. There are probably 75-100 homes in the area now, so I'm curious if anyone knows someone living there.

[MountainEarth]

If you live at 7329 feet, you should generally be fine (unless you yourself have existing respiratory or other health issues). You'll definitely feel it though. For people coming from out of state or much lower elevations, yes that's a BIG jump. Altitude sickness (https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/altitude-sickness) generally strikes at 8000 feet and up, and the higher you go the greater the risk. Unless your friends are in excellent health and used to strenuous activity, they might want to acclimate at a lower altitude for a day or two (though many people don't).

Sleep is generally poorer at higher altitude, no matter who you are. But the longer you stay, the better it usually gets. You and your guests may experience what is known as "periodic" or "Cheyne Stokes" breathing (see here ... Altitude.org | Sleep at High Altitude). It may be worth it to have some supplemental oxygen in the home for your guests as well.

I know that area, though I don't know exactly where the place you're looking at is. Some of those higher communities up Hoosier Pass tend to be quite windswept, and so the snow generally isn't too bad. But if you are talking about a home at the end of one of the valleys approaching Quandry itself(for example up towards Blue Lakes), be aware that snow down in those valleys can be brutal, and make getting to your place difficult in Winter (though I'm assuming if you're buying now you've checked that, this also is a very dry Winter).

Finally keep in mind that homes at that altitude take a beating from the very high UV levels, not to mention the wind and snow. But if you can afford a vacation home near Breck, the higher maintenance costs might not be much of a concern for you.

[hikernut]

I would certainly try visiting and sleeping at that sort of elevation before making a commitment to buying a property. I don't sleep very well at 11,000+. I used to stay at some of the 10th Mountain ski huts that were around that elevation when I lived in Denver area.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by MountainEarth

If you live at 7329 feet, you should generally be fine (unless you yourself have existing respiratory or other health issues). You'll definitely feel it though. For people coming from out of state or much lower elevations, yes that's a BIG jump. Altitude sickness (https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/altitude-sickness) generally strikes at 8000 feet and up, and the higher you go the greater the risk. Unless your friends are in excellent health and used to strenuous activity, they might want to acclimate at a lower altitude for a day or two (though many people don't).

Sleep is generally poorer at higher altitude, no matter who you are. But the longer you stay, the better it usually gets. You and your guests may experience what is known as "periodic" or "Cheyne Stokes" breathing (see here ... Altitude.org | Sleep at High Altitude). It may be worth it to have some supplemental oxygen in the home for your guests as well.

I know that area, though I don't know exactly where the place you're looking at is. Some of those higher communities up Hoosier Pass tend to be quite windswept, and so the snow generally isn't too bad. But if you are talking about a home at the end of one of the valleys approaching Quandry itself(for example up towards Blue Lakes), be aware that snow down in those valleys can be brutal, and make getting to your place difficult in Winter (though I'm assuming if you're buying now you've checked that, this also is a very dry Winter).

Finally keep in mind that homes at that altitude take a beating from the very high UV levels, not to mention the wind and snow. But if you can afford a vacation home near Breck, the higher maintenance costs might not be much of a concern for you.

I tried telling you in another thread but apparently it didn’t get through...... Excellent health and being used to strenuous activity in no way makes you less susceptible to altitude sickness. In fact they may make you more prone to it.

Myths About Altitude

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by lpmbc387

We are currently looking at purchasing a vacation home about 9 miles outside of Breckenridge, in a neighborhood near the base of Mt. Quandary. The home's elevation is at nearly 11,000 feet, and although we currently live at 7,329 feet in Colorado, I'm a little bit nervous about how we will all acclimate on our trips up there, not to mention when we bring friends and family with us. We have never had any problems when we stay in mountain towns (Breck, Vail, etc.), but have never stayed at quite this elevation for any length of time.

Does anyone live in this area that can shed some light on the conditions at that elevation? We LOVE the house and the location, but this is constantly in the back of my mind.

Thanks!

First of all, I would suggest renting a condo or whatever at that altitude for a few weeks on your next vacation up to the mountains. There's nothing better than experiencing for yourself at first hand before committing to what could be a purchase that you could come to regret. Conversely, you might absolutely love life at that altitude. You won't know until you try it, and I suggest that you try it more than once before making your final decision. Spend some time in Leadville perhaps which is at just over 10,000 feet. If you have no problem with living in Leadville for whatever time you plan to spend in your vacation home, you should be good to go for YOU but...

Are your friends and family also living in Colorado? If not and they're coming from some place closer to sea level, they may find it harder to acclimate to a semi-extended stay at such a high altitude. My extended family is mostly from lower elevation country in Kentucky and points south. I remember my younger cousins being terrified of driving up to the top of Pikes Peak when we were all just kids, and my Grandmother came out once from Lexington, KY and she had a difficult time just at the altitude of Colorado Springs (around 6,000 ft).

Also, are you thinking of a summer mountain hide-away or a place to go on ski trips from come winter or both? I've lived in Colorado all my life, and I've spent a fair amount of time at or above timberline (11,000 - 12,000 ft in Colorado) which is what you are looking at. IMO timberline can be a blast in July with all the wildflowers and the little pika's and bigger marmots and other wildlife, but a house or cabin at timberline in December? No thanks. Not unless I was going to be there all the time and could see to it that the pipes didn't freeze up or the bears decide to move in for their winter's nap. But then again, if you have the money to buy a vacation home up in the mountains near Breck, you can probably afford to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on the place. BTW, I'm free if you need to hire someone.

How old are you? Do you want a place that you figure you're going to hang on to for a long period of time? Winter home or summer home? Are you prepared for the possibility of wildfire? What's the condition of the forests where you want to buy your vacation home? I would NOT advise buying a place which has been subjected to decimation by spruce beetle. We could probably give you better advise if we knew those things.

[Nn2036]

You need to try living there at least a week to see how you feel. You may adapt but generally you don't feel as good.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

Spend some time in Leadville perhaps which is at just over 10,000 feet. If you have no problem with living in Leadville for whatever time you plan to spend in your vacation home, you should be good to go for YOU but...

Good idea. Leadville is at 10,152' andhas numerous rentals, hotels, and campgrounds you could stay at. Over Hoosier Pass from the investigated are is Alma CO, at 10,578'. There is a steady year round population there. My Grandparents lived in Alma for many decades. They loved it. However they grew up at altitude and spent many of their years in various CO towns at high altitude, so to them, it was simply another pahse of their lives. Similarly, all our family was scattered around CO, so visits meant we were only going up another 4000-5000'. Again, no issue for all of us, but, your mileage may vary due to any variety of factors.

Higher up outside of Alma are Placer Valley and Buckskin Gulch. Both of these places house year round residences now days which are probably very similar to the places you are looking at in Summit County. If you are already looking at real estate in the area, ask if you can speak with any other residents. Most folks are pretty willing to talk about their experiences if you are thinking about moving into their neighborhood.

[kavm]

I’d advise you to educate yourself more on altitude sickness and health guidelines relating to that. Change of sleeping altitude from 8000 ft to 11000 ft definitely falls outside of the safety guidelines. Does that mean you will have serious altitude sickness (as in cerebral edema or pulmonary edema)? likely not (though I am not in a position to give you medical advice). Would you have some symptoms ? quite possibly. Does spending weeks or months at that altitude tell you much? no. Your body will adjust in a couple of days. Does your body always respond the same to abrupt exposure to high altitude? No - it is quite inconsistent. If you are going to be sleeping at that altitude often - then your body will be acclimatized and your main concern would be limited to trips when you revisit after a substantial break.

There are places (e.g. Lhasa, Leh and I am sure many others) where people fly in from the planes that are much higher in altitude. Most do alright- but need to rest for a day or two...