During flight school, we had an Aeromedical Factors class which covered Hypoxia quite thoroughly. This class went over the four types, what causes them, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to fix your situation so that you are no longer hypoxic. Well, I experienced a bit of Hypoxic Hypoxia today (yes, that IS one of the four types - it just sounds made up). Dad, Mom, and I drove up Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, parked at the top, and then hiked just under a mile up to the top of the mountain. When I was in high school, this would not have been an issue - I had lived here in the tops of the mountains most of my life, and was pretty acclimated to the altitude. Now, however, my family and I have lived in the South (max elevation about 225 feet above sea level) for most of the last ten years. All of those red blood cells that were used to high elevations got fat and lazy, just like I have. I was pretty sure that I was going to die on that little hike. I was literally passed by an old lady with two hiking sticks on the way up. Time to hit the treadmill again...
Anyway, I did experience a little of the famous Colorado Altitude Sickness, headache, shortness of breath, etc. Nothing that a chocolate carmel apple from Estes Park couldn't solve, however!
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