CONVENTION DAILY

Outdoors Fun, But Mind the Altitude

by Marilyn Werber Serafini

Mon. Jul 28, 2008


National Journal looks ahead at what to expect at the conventions.

Enticed by the pristine natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains, Democratic convention-goers are sure to consider short getaways to nearby Pikes Peak, the most visited mountain in North America, or to the Garden of the Gods to ooh and aah over its towering sandstone red-rock formations.

Even the fittest visitors, however, should proceed with caution, says Donald Thompson, a physician and former Colorado resident, because the state has something that most of the country lacks: extreme altitude. For people predisposed to altitude sickness, it can mean mild headaches, nausea, and trouble sleeping and keeping up with usual exercise routines, all made worse by the dehydrating effects of alcohol. Hmmm. Alcohol at a convention?

"The hangover that people have from alcohol is dehydration," Thompson said. "It sucks water out of the body. More than a couple of drinks are going to cause some dehydration, and therefore more of a high-altitude headache."

To be sure, as convention-goers consider how to spend their spare time in both Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul, the big draw will be the great outdoors (after Republicans have their fill of the Mall of America, of course). But in both locations, there are cautions to consider for the adventurous, whether it is Colorado's altitude sickness or Minnesota's black bears.

In Colorado, a couple of Tylenol or Advil, plus extra water, should relieve mild symptoms of altitude sickness. Indeed, Denver isn't likely to be a major problem, according to Stephen Cantrill, associate director of emergency medicine at Denver Health Medical Center, because at just over 5,000 feet above sea level, it is one of the lower points of the state. Still, mild symptoms there could be a harbinger of bigger trouble when sightseers scale Pikes Peak's 14,000 feet, even by car.

Although unlikely, altitude sickness at its worst can be life-threatening, causing pulmonary or cerebral edema, said Cantrill, noting that visitors to the higher elevations should look for warning signs. "The normal scenario is, you feel terrible, headache, sick to your stomach, you may vomit once or twice, you take Advil, and you're fine the next morning," he said, adding that the quickest road to recovery is the one that leads down the mountain.

Thompson advises convention-goers to plan their mountain outings for the end of the week, if possible, to give their bodies time to acclimate to Denver's moderately high elevation. This is especially true for "flatlanders," which is what Coloradans call people from lower-lying areas such as Washington, D.C.

Convention-goers in Minneapolis-St. Paul may also experience symptoms of nausea--not from altitude sickness but from a face-to-face encounter with one of Minnesota's 27,000 black bears. To be sure, black bear sightings are rare in the Twin Cities area, despite its extensive parklands, which offer numerous opportunities for boating and hiking. But if visitors want to experience "some of the prettiest country you'll ever see," said Tom Knisely, media-relations specialist for the Three Rivers Park District, they should head three hours' north to the state's rugged woodlands region.

There, he said, visitors will find serene boreal forests, glacial lakes, and waterfalls. Also, one might see 300-pound black bears, along with gray wolves, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and opossum.

But dangerous encounters with black bears aren't common, says Dennis Udovich, president of the American Bear Association in Orr, Minn. According to the state's Department of Natural Resources, most bears are wary of people, and their first choice is to flee. Still, if there is food involved, or if they are startled or scared, bears might attack.

Udovich's advice? If you do startle a bear, quietly back away. And don't feed black bears, or leave food nearby to tempt them, and definitely advertise your presence with some chatter. Of course, that's

something that convention-goers should be able to do well.

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