Boulder Climate
| May 16 |
|---|
| Avg. High | 72 F |
| Avg. Low | 42 F |
| Mean Temp. | 57 F |
| Avg. Precip. | 2.4 inches/month |
| Avg. Sunrise | 5:45 am |
| Avg. Sunset | 8:10 pm |
Temperatures could be much lower at the ceremony site, because it is another thousand or more feet above Boulder. Be prepared for cold or warm weather.
Hotels
- Days Inn: 5397 South Boulder Rd. in Boulder, 303-499-4422, 800-329-7466, $55/night
- In the foothills, Silver Saddle Motel: 90 West Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder 303-442-8022, 800-525-9509, $85-$98/night
- The Broker Inn has an elegant resteraunt attached: 555 30th St. in Boulder 303-444-3330, 800-338-5407
- Boulder International Youth Hostel: 1107 12th Street in Boulder 303-442-0522, $35/night (private room); $17/night (dorm style)
- Marriott - Courtyard Boulder: 4710 Pearl East Circle; Boulder, CO 80301; 303-440-4700
- Marriott - Boulder: 2660 Canyon Boulevard; Boulder, CO 80302; 303-440-8877
- Marriott - Residence Inn Boulder: 3030 Center Green Drive; Boulder, CO 80301; 303-449-5545
- Marriott - Courtyard Boulder Longmont: 1410 Dry Creek Drive; Longmont, CO 80503; 303-682-1166
- Boulder Chautauqua: 900 Baseline Road; Boulder, Colorado 80302; 303-442-3282 x11
Area Attractions
Getting Around
- Denver International Airport
- We suggest renting a car from the airport or in Boulder. It may be cheaper to rent a car in Boulder, so you may want to investigate getting other transportation from the airport to Boulder and renting the car in town. Although public transportation is fairly good, Boulder is still a western city that implicitly assumes everyone has a car.
- The Boulder Super Shuttle can take you from the Airport to Boulder.
- The SkyRide AB bus is the public transportation from DIA to Boulder.
- Map of Airport to Boulder via US Highway 36.
- Flagstaff Road: how to get to the ceremony from Boulder.
Acute Mountain Sickness
Acute Mountain Sickness is a mild form of altitude sickness which effects 20% to 30% of visitors to Colorado. The symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting and trouble sleeping. A.M.S. looks and feels like the "flu". Most people experience the symptoms of A.M.S. in the first three days after arrival. The symptoms usually go away by the fourth day.
Treatment of A.M.S.
Most people with mild A.M.S. get better with no treatment at all. People with moderate or severe symptoms should see a doctor. Things that help:
- Before your trip, maintain a good work/rest cycle, avoiding excessive work hours and last minute packing.
- Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills or narcotics, they may decrease ventilation, intensify hypoxemia and make symptoms worse.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Eat high-carbohydrate foods (rice, pasta, cereal) while avoiding fatty stuff.
- Avoid heavy exercise. Mild exercise is okay.
- Diamox (acetazolamide) 125mg. tablets taken twice a day is F.D.A. approved for prevention and treatment of A.M.S. Although it was originally released as a diuretic, it also helps you breath deeper and faster. This allows you to get more oxygen. Diamox is especially helpful with the insomnia and other symptoms of A.M.S.
- Home oxygen will relieve symptoms. Home oxygen is safe, cheap and easy to use. It can be used at night when symptoms are worse and off and on during the day as symptoms dictate.
- If nothing else works, you can return to lower altitude. Going to Denver or Colorado Springs will always relieve the symptoms of A.M.S.
Prevention of A.M.S.
People who get symptoms from high altitude can take several steps to prevent symptoms on their next visit to Colorado.
- "Staging" or changing altitudes helps. If you are coming from sea level, it is better to spend the night in Denver or Colorado Springs. This allows your body to adjust to the altitude and will help you adjust to higher altitudes better.
- Diamox may be taken one to two days prior to arrival. This will "prepare" your body for our altitude.
- Do not over-do on your first day or two.
- Physical conditioning at sea level does not help.
Conclusion
Rapid ascent to high altitude can be uncomfortable for many people and dangerous for some. Headache and other symptoms of acute mountain sickness may be prevented by gradual ascent or by taking Diamox. Pulmonary edema occurs in a small percentage of people who quickly ascent to elevations above 8,000 feet. Those patients need to see a physician for oxygen therapy and descent to lower altitude.
The above information was taken from The National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Another good resource is MedLine.
|
