Bordered on the west by the Rocky Mountains and on the east by the Great Plains, Denver's weather may not be what you'd think. While the moutainous areas can get dozens of feet of snow a year, most of what we call the Front Range is quite a bit more arid. And at 5,280 feet altitude above sea level, there's less oxygen and less atmosphere in general to protect you from that giant fusion reactor in the sky. With that in mind, here are some specific tips.
Drink water. Now, drink some more. Well, when you get here. The altitude + the low humidity is going to dry you out - and if you drink alcohol, it just exacerbates it.
Take it easy-ish. Altitude means less air pressure so you have to work harder to breathe.
Go easy on the alcohol. Notwithstanding the Denver.org tip sheet below, alcohol doesn't "hit harder" in the sense that your BAC will be the same - but if you're also fatigued, dehydrated, and not breathing as well as at sea level, it will definitely feel like it does.
Use sunscreen. You will burn very quickly here - and nobody looks good in beet red.
Bring sunglasses. Again, very bright sunlight.
Bring a hat or head covering of some sort. Did I mention the sunlight?
Bring lip balm. Dry air & more sun = dry, chapped lips.
Bring layers. I'll keep updating the expected weather on Twitter, but as of today, a week out, it's looking like daytime highs in the mid 70s to low 80s (22-28 C) and overnight lows in the upper 30s to upper 40s (3-8 C). The hottest time of day is around 3 - 6 pm and once the sun goes down the temperature falls pretty quickly. We're known to be a bit blustery wind-wise at times too. Not expecting any precipitation at the moment but again I'll keep updating as we get closer.
Marijuana. Marijuana is legal for both medicinal and recreational use in Colorado, and there are dispensaries all over the city including just a couple of blocks from the Hyatt. However, it is still quite illegal at the U.S. Federal level, which means you can't take it into any Federal facilities...like airports. So if you want to partake while here, you do you, but don't try to take any home as a souvenir or you may find your stay extended in a decidedly less comfortable fashion. Also - watch the edibles, as many of them are sold in convenient multi-serving/dose packages. Be sure that you're clear on your expected dosage before you pound a 1-lb "green brownie" or bag of edibles gummi bears.
Also, understand that consuming marijuana in public is still illegal under Colorado law, and the amount you can possess is limited to 1 oz I believe. I am not a lawyer nor law enforcement, and I will not bail you out if you fall afoul of the law, so if this is something of interest to you, do some looking into it.
Preparing for the Mountains
All of these tips apply; in addition, once you hit around 8,000 feet in elevation, and that starts not that far west of Denver, you can get altitude sickness, and the temperature can drop quite quickly, and the chances of adverse weather, including snow and 50 mph/80kph gusty winds, rises. If you're planning on taking a day trip to the Colorado high country, whether for hiking or skiing or just sightseeing, do a bit of research on how to prepare including emergency preparedness.
Most of these tips are common sense; for another take on them, Denver.org has some useful links.
https://www.denver.org/about-denver/resources/high-altitude-tips/
1 comment:
Thanks for this series of posts Jesse, I have never been to your fair city before, so very useful!
Post a Comment