Altitude considerations for Western US travel with children

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fisherman I have read that there might be a risk to taking children over the Rockies due to the altitude.

Of course there is a danger. You will be in a car. 40,000 plus fatalities every year in the US. Many, many more serious injuries for every fatality.

When is the last time you heard of anyone suffering from a trip across the Rockies? When was the last time you heard of a car accident?

People worry about the wrong stuff.

-ERD50

[ls99]

I think there is too much doctor-itis nowadays. Constant haranguing about "talk to your doctor" about darn near anything folks want to do. Dr. Marcus Welby is long dead, no doctor can provide the individual hand-holding. And he only did it for well healed clients, besides it was all mythical TV stuff.

Going over any mountain range has risks, altitude not being the foremost hazard. The simple version is, if there is a highway through it, altitude will be the least of the problems.

Kids IMHO are over coddled, constantly herded. Just yesterday as I was sitting on a park bench, sipping on a cup of coffee in the town square, there came a bunch of kids in a column of two. With minders. Looked way too contrived, reminded me of moving forward in chow line in basic training. As they got closer the reason became obvious.

Each kid was hanging on to a harness like those used by mushers for sled dogs. I could not help but say to one of the minders, say, with that setup they should be pulling a sled.

They were not amused.

I find it horrid that the kiddie garden kids are constantly being herded, prodded, flash carded, homogenized, indoctrinated all bloody day. I see it daily, I go the the Y at random times, where they run daycare. I'm sure parents like it that way, I just don't see the point.

When do kids get to be kids?

//Rant off.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 I think there is too much doctor-itis nowadays. Constant haranguing about "talk to your doctor" about darn near anything folks want to do. Dr. Marcus Welby is long dead, no doctor can provide the individual hand-holding. And he only did it for well healed clients, besides it was all mythical TV stuff. Going over any mountain range has risks, altitude not being the foremost hazard. The simple version is, if there is a highway through it, altitude will be the least of the problems. Kids IMHO are over coddled, constantly herded. Just yesterday as I was sitting on a park bench, sipping on a cup of coffee in the town square, there came a bunch of kids in a column of two. With minders. Looked way too contrived, reminded me of moving forward in chow line in basic training. As they got closer the reason became obvious. Each kid was hanging on to a harness like those used by mushers for sled dogs. I could not help but say to one of the minders, say, with that setup they should be pulling a sled. They were not amused. I find it horrid that the kiddie garden kids are constantly being herded, prodded, flash carded, homogenized, indoctrinated all bloody day. I see it daily, I go the the Y at random times, where they run daycare. I'm sure parents like it that way, I just don't see the point. When do kids get to be kids?

Do you have children? IMO there are reasons why parents tend to be very protective today.

My parents didn't care if I showed up at 2am when I was 14. When I was 6 they lost me for a whole day in Mobile. Basically the grace of God got me to adulthood. I let my kids move to the city alone when they were each 16- though the second at least had big brother to go to. They had been homeschooled and they wanted to be out on their own, go to college, meet more girls, and get started on their lives and careers. But they were in reality if not years fully adult.

But it is really a different world today. Also, many affluent new mothers are at or beyond age 40, and they really, really, really want to get it right.

Just a couple days ago some guy was killing a little time in The Public Market on his way to the VA to renew his anti-psychotic meds. He snatched a little boy from his tourist Mom. This kid was right by his Mom, but the market is a busy place and people are always being bumped and jostled. They are usually not on guard since it is full of tourists and people feeling festive. The Mom started screaming right away, and she spotted the guy dragging her son away. She managed to catch up to them, and when he saw her getting close she released her boy.

The cops picked him up just minutes later using her and bystanders description.

A couple who house-sat for us one summer lost a daughter out of their cyclone fenced yard in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. The little girl's body eventually turned up.

On the other hand, when I was little adults still talked about the Lindbergh kidnapping years after it happened. This crap is all too common today.

Ha

[ls99]

No kids of my own, did raise two of my late brother's daughters to adulthood. So not unfamiliar with issues.

Your points are good. The question I am after is: when do kids get to be kids?

[unclemick]

1970 Moved from Seattle to Littleton outside of Denver. Was hungry all the time with a craving for red meat and my skin itched - but I don't remember being short of breath - pack a day smoker but I backpacked and skied. ? six monthes to adjust? - guessing the red blood cells caught up.

My twin carb roadster(Datsun 2000) needed different jets and retiming.

1977 Talking to a New Orleans Ski Club member - Mom and Pop got headaches and a little short winded at Beckenridge but the kids - young teens adjusted fine.

heh heh heh - I hesitate to think what a 30/40 lb backpack, age 65 and 12,000 ft plus would do today.

[dt123]

When my kids were younger we took teen boy scouts every summer to summer camp, from sea level Texas to locations in New Mexico and Colorado that were anywhere from 7000 to 10,000 feet. Drove there in a day and a half. Usually about 1 in 20 would get altitude sickness. Weak and throwing up for a day or two. Fine after. It was just an expected feature of our scouting adventure. One was so sick one time he had to be hospitalized a couple days for dehydration. Even he was fine afterwards and rejoined the group.

At Philmont backpacking scout camp in New Mexico, the drill is for everyone to spend the first 36-48 hours at base camp, ostensibly to get everything ready for the trek but really to keep an eye on the kids and adults for altitude adjustment.

[Zoocat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 IKids IMHO are over coddled, constantly herded. Just yesterday as I was sitting on a park bench, sipping on a cup of coffee in the town square, there came a bunch of kids in a column of two. With minders. Looked way too contrived, reminded me of moving forward in chow line in basic training. As they got closer the reason became obvious. Each kid was hanging on to a harness like those used by mushers for sled dogs. I could not help but say to one of the minders, say, with that setup they should be pulling a sled. They were not amused. I find it horrid that the kiddie garden kids are constantly being herded, prodded, flash carded, homogenized, indoctrinated all bloody day. I see it daily, I go the the Y at random times, where they run daycare. I'm sure parents like it that way, I just don't see the point. When do kids get to be kids? //Rant off.

The ole days are gone. Our culture has become increasingly violent. My evidence: watch the TV police dramas that include pornographic violence that I cannot stomach, having grown up in a gentler era. Today violent images are available everywhere and those who would use children for their own purposes have been emboldened. Any parent who relaxes vigilance and takes his/her eye off their child (unless in a secure environment) is being very stupid. IMHO.