RT: 8.6 miles (started from the campground and added on the Alpine Lake Lake Loop)
Elevation Gain: 3,000ft
Peak Altitude: 13,065 ft
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard, depending on your fitness level and altitude acclimation…
Located in Great Basin National Park (Nevada), Wheeler Peak is a relatively easy peak to bag with a short hike up (<4 miles) and a total elevation gain of 3k. The hike doesn’t get serious (intense) until you hit the 3-mile mark. By then, you’re at about 12,000 ft elevation with another 1,000 ft of climbing packed into the last scrappy scree and talus-filled mile.
At 13,065 ft, Wheeler Peak is the tallest mountain in the Snake Range and the second-highest peak in Nevada. (Boundary Peak is the highest at 13,147 ft.) For perspective, in the first picture above, those tiny linear marks are people on the scree and talus section of the”trail”.
By “I got wonky”, I mean I got altitude sickness. And I don’t mean to downplay the potential seriousness of it. I’ve done higher peaks (Mount Whitney 14, 495 ft) and experienced headaches, but I’ve never experienced altitude-induced “aphasia.” It happened on the way down after spending over an hour taking in the views from the top. (Apparently, too long for me.)
After descending about a mile, I said something to my hiking partner, and my words came out jumbled. (I knew what I wanted to say, but the wrong words were coming out in random order.) Either I was having a stroke or experiencing altitude sickness. My heart rate was relatively low, 75 bpm, and I’m relatively fit – while that doesn’t rule out a stroke, altitude sickness was more likely. There were no other symptoms, although I stumbled a couple of times towards the top and on the way down, which I attributed to the loose, rocky terrain (talus and scree) and my bad knees.
It didn’t help that we drove from an altitude of 3,000 feet directly to the campground and trailhead, which sits at 10,000 feet and started hiking vigorously immediately. (We made it to the top in 2 hours.) In retrospect, this was probably not the best plan, but I’ve never experienced more than a headache at altitude, so I considered myself relatively impervious. (False; just because you haven’t had altitude sickness doesn’t mean you won’t get it. No one is impervious. Altitude sickness strikes randomly.) I had hiked in the local mountains to 10,000 feet that week without incident.
What to do? The best treatment for altitude sickness is to descend immediately, so I did. It took another 1,000 feet of descending before my ability to speak coherently returned, much to my relief. I count myself lucky, as there have been incidents of high-altitude hikers experiencing aphasia for as long as six months—yikes!
Of note, a thin 20-something-year-old man dressed in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants (overdressed for 70-80-degree temperatures) appeared to be having some difficulty as he approached the last 100 feet of the climb. He seemed out of it, angry/unfriendly, as we gave him the right of way on the single-track trail. As we were hiking out our last mile, a ranger approached us and asked if we’d seen a young man dressed in black as they’d received a distress call about a fellow with altitude sickness…
Flash forward to the following weekend; on my way down from Mount Timpanogos Peak (11,752 feet) a slight teenage girl was curled into a fetal position on the side of the trail, holding her head. Her father and brothers stood around her. They had brought her down as far as they could, but she was incapacitated with severe nausea and a headache. The rescue team was on its way.
Other than my bout of altitude sickness, Mount Wheeler is a “relatively easy” peak to bag though the last steep slippery scree and talus section isn’t much fun if you’re not nimble-footed or if you have knee issues. Both apply to me. I used a pole on the way down to keep myself from taking a spill.
I was back to feeling fine, so we added on a leisurely stroll around the scenic Alpine Lakes Loop Trail for views of Teresa and Stella lakes, both of which looked more alluring than the last time I visited them. Perhaps I just caught the light right this time? If you’re not into bagging peaks, the lake loop is an easy 2.6 mile trail, but the altitude of 10,000 feet can still be a factor.
Altitude Sickness PSA
There are 3 syndromes of altitude sickness: acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)
Acute mountain sickness (AMS)
Symptoms: Headache, Dizziness. Loss of appetite, Nausea, Vomiting, Fatigue / Loss of Energy, Shortness of Breath, Irritability, Dizziness, Muscle Aches, Insomnia
High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a potentially life-threatening form of AMS where the brain swells due to lack of oxygen. Symptoms: Extreme fatigue /Drowsiness, Confusion, Loss of Coordination, Hallucinations
High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is also a potentially life-threatening form of AMS that impacts the lungs. It can occur in rapid ascents above 8,200 feet when blood vessels narrow due to lack of oxygen, leading to fluid build-up in the lungs. Symptoms: Shortness of breath, Weakness, Cough
Altitude Sickness Facts
- 75% of people experience mild symptoms of AMS at elevations over 10,000 feet, dependent upon the elevation, the rate of ascent, and individual susceptibility.
- 14% of people with HAPE will also have HACE
- Anyone (fit/unfit, old/young, male/female) can get altitude sickness
- Men are more susceptible
- Obese individuals are more susceptible
- Genetics play a role
- Fast rate of ascent can play a role
- Your body loses water through respiration at high altitudes twice as fast as it does at sea level
Preventive Measures
- Hydrate well
- Carb load
- Allow at least a day to acclimate to the altitude if possible
- Take it easy (rate of ascent)
- Descend at the first sign of altitude sickness
Happy and Safe Trails!
On the Loose Live 