I hope more people watch this. AMS is no joke, ever. HAPE is the same. This video is gold because you can capture his mental processes. @01:33 he mentions it. @1:46 he is aware of his heart rate "skyrocketing". The dried sweat on his face from losing every electrolyte in his body is another telltale. @2:20 his speech is slurred and I am freaking out at this point, having seen this before several times. Bro. He's talking about not being prepared but he's in good shape and has a lot of experience. This is all *classic* AMS. If you experience all of these symptoms back to back you need to stop, turn around and head down *immediately*. I have never seen AMS recede if one is still ascending. Ever. Yet they make a new plan and keep ascending. It's easy to criticize from an armchair. They have been planning this trip for a long time and they DO NOT want to bail. We've all been there. By the time they decide to bail he realizes he can't walk out and he's still thinking they will send a ranger on a horse. Nopity nope! Helo inbound. No shade on this guy at all. He's lucky to be alive. FWIW, you are supposed to spend one night at altitude for every night above 6000' to properly acclimatize. None of us do this but that is the proper way to be an athlete at 11000 feet.
Courageous video. It is a great service to all to see that someone with experience and fitness can get trapped by circumstance. And admit that they are in severe trouble and accept the necessary rescue. Thanks.
I'm absolutely amazed that you were able to focus long enough to continue videotaping your experience! This will help many others understand what to look for if they get altitude sickness...always looking forward to your next adventure :)
Heading out there in October from Chicago - this video has certainly impressed me on the need to acclimate - particularly for a flat lander like me. Thanks very much for posting this courageous video. I hope you're feeling better now.
Thank you for posting this. Try not to beat on yourself over it- it was out of your control. I consider myself to be a pretty experienced camper, however this summer I made a stupid mistake and injured myself seriously. We had no cell phone signal, and there was no other campers around to assist us. It took us 17 hours to get medical help. It was the first time anything like this had happened, and it really impressed on me how important safety is. Thanks for showing us the good, bad, and ugly sides to enjoying nature! Good video!
Welcome to Cali! Thank you for posting this vid. This can happen to ANYONE!!! Anybody planning a backpack trip to the high Sierras please study up on altitude sickness before your trip. I've been backpacking the Sierras since the mid-1980's, and have studied altitude sickness quite a bit and had my fair share of problems with it. It can affect anyone, even those who spend a lot of time at high elevations. In my own experience it seems to affect me more as I get older (mid-40's now), and typically hits me at/above 8,500 ft. Laying off caffein and alcohol tends to reduce the impact, and as you state in the video staying well hydrated is critical. Taking extra time to acclimate is the best defense, but as we all know that is very difficult to do when our schedules are so full and 'free time' is so hard to come by. I haven't tried the medication yet but may give it a shot before my next trip above tree line. Anyway, thanks again and I hope you can take in more of the Sierras soon!
Fair play mate for putting this video up, takes a lot of courage. It just goes to show that pride can kill. Watching the first few minutes and seeing you at the end of that first day raised some massive alarm bells! Hope you recovered well
Just watched the news and saw that Buzz Aldrin was evacuated from the South Pole with "high-altitude pulmonary edema" with fluid in his lungs. Hope you're fully recovered Kyle! Scary stuff! Thanks for bringing it to our attention through your own experiences...I never knew it was even a thing.
Grew up my whole life living in high altitude in central Wyoming and even then I'll never forget the one time I got it backpacking when I was around 12. Luckily the people I was with knew what was going on and got me to a lower altitude early enough. A lot of people don't think about things like altitude sickness and if I remember right I was at around 10 thousand feet when I started showing symptoms but it's good to educate people on altitude sickness and what the signs and symptoms of it are because someone could just go from thinking they have a stomach ache and headache to being in a life threatening situation.
Glad you made it out safe. Calling for a rescue was a right decision rather than delaying or pushing yourself further. I read about HAPE after you talked about it in the video and it seems like this could have been fatal in few hours if not properly treated! Thanks for the video. Very informative!
Thanks for sharing this experience, Kyle. I'm so glad you are ok! Two minutes into the video and I was worried about you already. My son and I were just talking about how you have to watch out for your hiking partners and the effect things like heat and cold are having on them. We didn't talk about elevation because we don't deal with that where we hike in Ontario, but this was a great example for him of what to watch for. Thanks for posting this and I look forward to your next, hopefully less worrisome, adventure!
Glad you're ok, Kyle! I think it's really important to show your experience on RUclips, hopefully others might learn from it (I certainly did!). As for the rest of the video, my god, what an amazing scenery! And what an amazing video quality! Hope to see new videos of your adventures soon :)!
Glad that worked out for you in the end. Can't imagine how scary that would have been. I did a section of the John Muir Trail this last summer, started at 7,500 ft and went straight up my first day. I purposely stopped at just 5 miles and 1,800 ft up. But man was that the toughest 5 miles I have ever done and I was feeling it. I also spent 2 days at my start location acclimating. +1 on the delorme. I have one too. Hopefully you get a chance to get back out and experience the Sierra doing your full planned hike.
i always think i can push through anything,, so this was kind of a reality check for me that sometimes s#%! happens... i couldnt imagine what would happen if you didnt have that InReach... we all will learn from this. thanks for pushing through to document!
Wow! What an amazing video.Glad to see you made out okay. I have seen most of your videos and appreciate you sharing the good and the bad.Looking forward to your next one.
Glad you're ok. Altitude is no joke. My son got altitude sickness after powering up Baxter pass on the eastern Sierras last year. No pulmonary edema (that we know of since he kept going for 5 days). We're heading back up to Kearsage pass in July but, we'll climatize for 2 days at Onion Valley at around 9,500 ft. Again, glad you're ok!
I was brought here by you and Joe's video. As someone who works on an ambulance you did the right thing, as much as it may suck to call for help. Myself and I'm sure many other could see your breathing was labored early in the video and progressively got worse. Pulmonary edema will kill you easily, and an O2 saturation in the 60's is near lethal. You absolutely did the right thing calling for rescue
While I wandered to your channel recently from Joe's, I've been seeing you for quite some time in Joe's videos. And, it is odd, but I think for those of us who watch your channels, Joe, Doug Outside, Scrambled O, Sean, and yourself, we get to know you guys a bit and form a kind of attachment to you guys. You probably have a similar experience with channels you watch. So, it was a bit distressing to see you in such dire straits, and as others have said, it was good of you to continue to document your difficulties, despite the fact that you almost seemed embarrassed at your human shortcomings. A learning experience for all of us, for sure. So, good to see that you put your ego aside, more importantly, to make the call. Have you had any real tests done on your heart? I see that pulmonary edema can be exacerbated by a heart condition. Thanks for the honesty, and take care.
Glad you made it out ok Kyle! I've done some hiking in the Rockies in Alberta and to be honest pulmonary edema never even crossed my mind since I'd only hiked to peaks around the 8,000 to 9,000 ft range but after this I'll make sure to know the signs and have some sort of backup plan like the In Reach just in case. Thanks for sharing and again glad you're ok.
Another Great Video Kyle! I thru hiked the John Muir Trail In 2014, Kings Canyon and Yosemite Park were my favorite places during the whole trip, if you get a chance to get out there again don't leave with out hiking up clouds rest, in my opinion its the best views in Yosemite, Love the Vids, Keep the coming.
Thank you for uploading your story man-I hike up in the Sierras backcountry off-trail many times a month and often alone. I have been putting off getting a GPS emergency device and I am ordering one right after I post this. That took guts. Anyways, thanks again and have a rockin’ day
Scary to watch Kyle, I'm glad that you made it out. I could see in the first couple of video sections that you weren't the "normal" you. Congratulations on continuing to live and stuff.
A great lesson video. I was backpacking at the Chocolate Lakes (one of the most beautiful spots I've ever been - very near Bishop Pass) in the Eastern Sierra many years ago and encountered altitude sickness. I started climbing up a hill, fell back and passed out cold. My buddy thought I was dead. I only had a minor headache at the time and had discounted the effects of the 10,800 foot altitude there. The key for future backpacking events was to spend 24 hours at about 8,000 feet (at the parking lot or trailhead) to get acclimated. It takes some people more time to acclimate than others. After practicing that, I never got altitude sickness again. It was also helpful to make sure we didn't hike too much altitude during a day - that's critical, as well. Hope your unfortunate experience doesn't dissuade you from backpacking in the future. Try North Lake to South Lake sometime - it's absolutely majestic - we did it in 8 days, but should've taken 12. Good luck in the future!
I find it interesting that despite how bad off your were, you still continued to document. I think I'd lose all ambition to continue anything but getting back down if i could. Glad to see you made it.
One thing that really helps is to sleep above 6000’ the day before you go in...one of my backpacking buddies suffers from it as well. This was a great video, and it proves how real altitude sickness is....God bless you.
Very glad that you are ok!!!! Wow, guess it can happen to anyone fit - thanks for sharing the experience and what you learned from it. It will definitely help others! Thank you!!
Wow man, I'm glad you are ok. That is scary stuff. Been through something similar with heat exhaustion during a solo hike. I literally stumbled my way out of the bush. Anyway, I love your videos and thanks for the work that goes into making them. Cheers, Matt G
A textbook case of HAPE. Growing up in N. California, I had my share of altitude headaches when going up to the Sierras. However, I think it is so important to see (as your video shows) the more serious symptoms (rapid heart beat, fast shallow breathing, cough, etc.), and how quickly they can spiral into something life threatening. Thank you for sharing it Kyle, and I am glad to see that you made it out okay.
I completely understand. I'm wasted for my first full day when I get to Tahoe from San Jose. Kept hearing you and Joe refer to this incident. Glad I finally found it and you made it back safe. Inreach👍
You should not feel embarrassed, just disappointed that the trip was cut short. You were clearheaded enough to make a rational decision. There is a lesson there for all of us. You did not quit. You took the only option available to you. Your backwoods experience shines through.
So glad you are doing well. I did go up as well at 10 thousand ft. I did train for a year for my backpacking trip. It does help! I did feel light headed but it went away. I did Emigrant wilderness trails. Definitely have to drink plenty of water rest and eat.
Sorry to hear the trip did not go so well, glad you are ok. Thanks for sharing all the info related to this, good lesson for all. Never had to deal with that kind of altitude.
Nothing negative coming from THIS old greybeard sir. It takes a lot of heart to admit when we've gotten in over our heads in ANY situation. Personally, I say "well done young man". Much respect, and don't beat yourself up anymore. Altitude is a world completely unto itself. Oh, and as far as the National Park Service, it's the BEST use of any of the taxpayers' dollars I'VE ever experienced. A buddy of ours got airlifted after a rattlesnake bite. Life happens!
Glad you hear it ended up ok, you could tell something was wrong almost right away you look so whipped at your first video check in. Nothing to be ashamed calling for help, at work on the water once we had to call the coast guard in for help.
It is the smart hiker who acknowledges when things go wrong despite our fitness and preparation. Good lesson to share with those who get lost in the romance associated with backpacking. Good for Kyle!
Damn man! Glad you are ok and made it through. 5,000 feet and 9 miles is pretty rough for a first day! Welcome to my world. Kings Canyon is the steepest starting point around here. I've learned my limits and try to stick to only a couple thousand gain over about 4-5 miles a day is my max haha. Sounds small compared to what others can do, but those are my limitations. I've had a couple of not as severe reactions as yours, but still not good. Once laid up in camp the whole next day and re-hydrated before pushing on the day after that. Like you said, drinking is key. Pretty scary there for you and it's good to see you made it.
super impressed with how you kept on filming for how bad you must have felt! dang! looks like you made the best of the rest of the trip despite your recovery too. well done!
Very WISE decision. It takes a good man to know his limitations. It is good to see a video that shows an epic fail, while at the same time a great success. Thank you. GREAT video.
Kyle, good decision making, arrogance gets people killed. My friends and I always comment on what a stud you are at backpacking, all the distance and speed. Don't doubt your ability, this was out of your control. Thanks for sharing the great message.
Kyle, I am glad you are alright. That was a very useful video, and I think you will be a better outdoorsman for this experience. I totally relate to the feeling that once you have invested all the time, money, and preparation in a trip, that you just want to press on ... but sometimes it's not the right choice. In a way, it's a sort of statistical issue: As you spend more and more days out in remote places, you have more and more chances to encounter some bad luck / factors that are just plain out of your control. And eventually, when the days out pile up over the years, one will likely get unlucky. The only question then is what you decide to do ... what decisions can you make then that *are* in your control. You have to balance out that impulse to focus on the here and now with the idea that there is always the next trip.
Been there bro, I've AMS twice, Humphreys Basin and Carson Pass to Echo Summit trips I have two hiking partners that I will only hike above the tree line both times my buddies noticed my symptoms and got me off the mountain, its how I got my trail name "Sea Level" I've been backpacking Point Reyes since the late 60's next time try Wildcat campsite #6 trust me, it's the best site at PR
Don't feel too bad. Altitude hits people differently, some can take it easier and some suffer. At the start of your video, you almost sound a little drunk as you were slurring your words. Altitude sickness is no joke and has nothing to do with your strength and only minimally with your cardio-level. Some people can take up to a month to fully acclimate to even 7000ish feet. Glad you are OK and now you may be able to help someone else.
This was terrifying to watch! You had all the symptoms. Thank God the weather was conducive to a chopper rescue! FYI, in non pressurized airplanes, oxygen is required if you are at 10,000 feet for more than 30 minutes! Think about that! The only way to "train" for altitude, is to go up and down over several days. Anything over 10k feet without aclimatizing, is asking for trouble. Glad you made it!!
hey man I feel for you! you made a call and a smart one at that...no hike is worth your life it's about enjoying the outdoors and busting your ass to get away from it all...I live in manitoba Canada its mighty flat but even people here need to call search and rescue when something goes wrong or can't continue to move on the trail and that feeling of wtf or shame takes you over for a bit but like all things that happen your life you learn from it. keep on keeping on and try it again when your better I look forward to seeing you do it! thanks for the video
Glad you made it. Thanks for sharing. Pulse-Ox. I had one of these in China, 16,000 feet (Hulong YueShan Jade Dragon Snow mtn) I and the people I tested with it were normal-to slightly higher range heart rate, but 91-92% blood oxygen. A Tibetan guy who works up at the cable car station (no I didn't walk up), smoking!...92-93%. Normal, sea level: 99%. Your water point is interesting. Your lungs were filling with fluid, (the way altitude sickness kills...) but you were dehydrated. A lot of your 'symptoms' were similar to what I experienced one hot day I was on a trail out of water, overheating, walk a few feet, feel totally weak, lay down under some chaparral, body temp lowers, I try to walk... Also altitude sickness from what I've read hits almost randomly-so don't blame yourself. It could be your 100th trip. I once had a curious altitude problem, Rocky Mtn National Park, 10000 feet, I'd been working hard in Denver for two days (5000 feet) so I could use the third day to drive up to the park. Checked into a motel, exhausted, sleepy, yet I could not sleep, I was agitated, frustrated, ready to go next door and tell those people to be quiet-- they weren't making any noise. The pillow was wrong. Found out later : this is a symptom of altitude sickness. I was still pissy for most of the next day... I usually love being at altitude. Japan has a lot of high mountains, but no high plateaus, so you never really acclimate. Yunnan, China (where I was at 16,000, ) Kunming (6200) then the Himalayas, Lijiang 7870, Shangrila 10,350, Tiger Leaping Gorge 12,000. Over a couple of days you quickly acclimate and when you come back down you feel like superman for about two weeks. And you forgot the one main piece of advice 'climb high, sleep low,' hike up to x,000 but then hike back down to a lower altitude to sleep. Be interesting if you went back and repeated the hike, this time more aware, acclimate a bit more, but maybe try to climb to the altitude you first noticed symptoms. I'll bet you won't have any problems at all. Of course don't do anything your doctor, or you, or a park ranger thinks is unwise.
Wow Kyle.... So sorry that this unfortunate event had to happen to you. Wishing you all the best.... This is very helpful for me though as I am thinking of doing some hiking out in the Rockys .... I only live 4 hours from Denver so its not that far for me to travel really.... Sure sounds a bit scary from your point of view on this trip considering I live in flatland Kansas lol... Thanks much for the upload
Quite a scary video. I'd like to recommend that you take a Wilderness First Aid course. That's one of the things we cover. HAPE that you experienced is quite advanced altitude sickness. Glad you are ok!
John that is a great idea and its already on my list to do this winter when the weather is bad. There have been two occasions this year when I felt that my medical knowledge was not up to par and that will not happen again next year.
OMG What a shocking video. Obviously so glad you are okay Kyle. You may well owe your life to your decisions to go into your adventure with a means to communicate safely with the outside world. Preparation to all outdoor adventures is probably something we do not see enough of, thank goodness it all ended okay. Best of luck for the future.
I hope more people watch this. AMS is no joke, ever. HAPE is the same. This video is gold because you can capture his mental processes. @01:33 he mentions it. @1:46 he is aware of his heart rate "skyrocketing". The dried sweat on his face from losing every electrolyte in his body is another telltale. @2:20 his speech is slurred and I am freaking out at this point, having seen this before several times.
Bro. He's talking about not being prepared but he's in good shape and has a lot of experience. This is all *classic* AMS. If you experience all of these symptoms back to back you need to stop, turn around and head down *immediately*. I have never seen AMS recede if one is still ascending. Ever.
Yet they make a new plan and keep ascending. It's easy to criticize from an armchair. They have been planning this trip for a long time and they DO NOT want to bail. We've all been there. By the time they decide to bail he realizes he can't walk out and he's still thinking they will send a ranger on a horse. Nopity nope! Helo inbound.
No shade on this guy at all. He's lucky to be alive. FWIW, you are supposed to spend one night at altitude for every night above 6000' to properly acclimatize. None of us do this but that is the proper way to be an athlete at 11000 feet.
Courageous video. It is a great service to all to see that someone with experience and fitness can get trapped by circumstance. And admit that they are in severe trouble and accept the necessary rescue. Thanks.
Now we've both been evacuated by helicopter :)
Seriously glad you are ok.
When did you have to be evacuated by helicopter?? Damn, I didn't know that.
On his season of Alone.
DOH!!!
Crazy how embarrassing Glad you're OK You know Joe will mess with the about this one LolWhat a adventure Them come in brother Love the videos
I'm absolutely amazed that you were able to focus long enough to continue videotaping your experience! This will help many others understand what to look for if they get altitude sickness...always looking forward to your next adventure :)
Heading out there in October from Chicago - this video has certainly impressed me on the need to acclimate - particularly for a flat lander like me. Thanks very much for posting this courageous video. I hope you're feeling better now.
Thank you for posting this. Try not to beat on yourself over it- it was out of your control. I consider myself to be a pretty experienced camper, however this summer I made a stupid mistake and injured myself seriously. We had no cell phone signal, and there was no other campers around to assist us. It took us 17 hours to get medical help. It was the first time anything like this had happened, and it really impressed on me how important safety is. Thanks for showing us the good, bad, and ugly sides to enjoying nature! Good video!
Welcome to Cali! Thank you for posting this vid. This can happen to ANYONE!!! Anybody planning a backpack trip to the high Sierras please study up on altitude sickness before your trip. I've been backpacking the Sierras since the mid-1980's, and have studied altitude sickness quite a bit and had my fair share of problems with it. It can affect anyone, even those who spend a lot of time at high elevations. In my own experience it seems to affect me more as I get older (mid-40's now), and typically hits me at/above 8,500 ft. Laying off caffein and alcohol tends to reduce the impact, and as you state in the video staying well hydrated is critical. Taking extra time to acclimate is the best defense, but as we all know that is very difficult to do when our schedules are so full and 'free time' is so hard to come by. I haven't tried the medication yet but may give it a shot before my next trip above tree line. Anyway, thanks again and I hope you can take in more of the Sierras soon!
Fair play mate for putting this video up, takes a lot of courage. It just goes to show that pride can kill. Watching the first few minutes and seeing you at the end of that first day raised some massive alarm bells! Hope you recovered well
Not in Ohio anymore -I knew something was wrong when you said you had not eaten for 3 hrs! Glad you didn't die Kyle :)
Thanks Doug
Leave it Doug to sort of slip a joke in, right? A comment about your well-documented appetite. LOL
Just watched the news and saw that Buzz Aldrin was evacuated from the South Pole with "high-altitude pulmonary edema" with fluid in his lungs. Hope you're fully recovered Kyle! Scary stuff! Thanks for bringing it to our attention through your own experiences...I never knew it was even a thing.
Thanks for sharing. I am glad that you are alright!
Grew up my whole life living in high altitude in central Wyoming and even then I'll never forget the one time I got it backpacking when I was around 12. Luckily the people I was with knew what was going on and got me to a lower altitude early enough. A lot of people don't think about things like altitude sickness and if I remember right I was at around 10 thousand feet when I started showing symptoms but it's good to educate people on altitude sickness and what the signs and symptoms of it are because someone could just go from thinking they have a stomach ache and headache to being in a life threatening situation.
Glad you made it out safe. Calling for a rescue was a right decision rather than delaying or pushing yourself further. I read about HAPE after you talked about it in the video and it seems like this could have been fatal in few hours if not properly treated! Thanks for the video. Very informative!
Glad you're okay. It was very sobering not many videos show that side. Thanks
Thank you. Thats exactly why I tried to keep filming and posted the video.
I've been waiting fora new video from you. It was well worth the wait
Glad to hear you are alright now. Take care and thanks for posting this video!!
Thanks for sharing this experience, Kyle. I'm so glad you are ok! Two minutes into the video and I was worried about you already. My son and I were just talking about how you have to watch out for your hiking partners and the effect things like heat and cold are having on them. We didn't talk about elevation because we don't deal with that where we hike in Ontario, but this was a great example for him of what to watch for. Thanks for posting this and I look forward to your next, hopefully less worrisome, adventure!
I'm glad the video was helpful. That is why I post these videos.
Glad you're ok, Kyle! I think it's really important to show your experience on RUclips, hopefully others might learn from it (I certainly did!).
As for the rest of the video, my god, what an amazing scenery! And what an amazing video quality!
Hope to see new videos of your adventures soon :)!
Glad that worked out for you in the end. Can't imagine how scary that would have been. I did a section of the John Muir Trail this last summer, started at 7,500 ft and went straight up my first day. I purposely stopped at just 5 miles and 1,800 ft up. But man was that the toughest 5 miles I have ever done and I was feeling it. I also spent 2 days at my start location acclimating. +1 on the delorme. I have one too. Hopefully you get a chance to get back out and experience the Sierra doing your full planned hike.
i always think i can push through anything,, so this was kind of a reality check for me that sometimes s#%! happens... i couldnt imagine what would happen if you didnt have that InReach... we all will learn from this. thanks for pushing through to document!
Wow! What an amazing video.Glad to see you made out okay. I have seen most of your videos and appreciate you sharing the good and the bad.Looking forward to your next one.
Glad you're ok. Altitude is no joke.
My son got altitude sickness after powering up Baxter pass on the eastern Sierras last year. No pulmonary edema (that we know of since he kept going for 5 days). We're heading back up to Kearsage pass in July but, we'll climatize for 2 days at Onion Valley at around 9,500 ft.
Again, glad you're ok!
Wow that was a tough one. Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad you are ok.
Scary Kyle, thanks for sharing your experience. Glad all turned out OK.
Wow. Over the top video. Huge respect
Wow! What a wild experience. Living here in Utah we have roads that go above 10k feet. Glad to see all worked out though.
Glad you're ok. wow. good to see some video. Get well, will be looking forward to seeing more videos.
I love the learning experience you got from this and I’m glad you included all of this regardless if it didn’t turn out your way. Stay safe!!
Wow thanks for sharing. It's going to help a lot of us learning from you. I think anyone who watches this will be more careful
I was brought here by you and Joe's video. As someone who works on an ambulance you did the right thing, as much as it may suck to call for help. Myself and I'm sure many other could see your breathing was labored early in the video and progressively got worse. Pulmonary edema will kill you easily, and an O2 saturation in the 60's is near lethal. You absolutely did the right thing calling for rescue
Glad you're good to go man. Good call on the evac. Recover well.
While I wandered to your channel recently from Joe's, I've been seeing you for quite some time in Joe's videos. And, it is odd, but I think for those of us who watch your channels, Joe, Doug Outside, Scrambled O, Sean, and yourself, we get to know you guys a bit and form a kind of attachment to you guys. You probably have a similar experience with channels you watch. So, it was a bit distressing to see you in such dire straits, and as others have said, it was good of you to continue to document your difficulties, despite the fact that you almost seemed embarrassed at your human shortcomings. A learning experience for all of us, for sure. So, good to see that you put your ego aside, more importantly, to make the call.
Have you had any real tests done on your heart? I see that pulmonary edema can be exacerbated by a heart condition.
Thanks for the honesty, and take care.
Glad you made it out ok Kyle! I've done some hiking in the Rockies in Alberta and to be honest pulmonary edema never even crossed my mind since I'd only hiked to peaks around the 8,000 to 9,000 ft range but after this I'll make sure to know the signs and have some sort of backup plan like the In Reach just in case. Thanks for sharing and again glad you're ok.
Another Great Video Kyle!
I thru hiked the John Muir Trail In 2014, Kings Canyon and Yosemite Park were my favorite places during the whole trip, if you get a chance to get out there again don't leave with out hiking up clouds rest, in my opinion its the best views in Yosemite,
Love the Vids, Keep the coming.
So glad to see some vids from you again, its been too long!
Thanks for the video. Hopefully, your experience will help educate others.
Thank you for uploading your story man-I hike up in the Sierras backcountry off-trail many times a month and often alone. I have been putting off getting a GPS emergency device and I am ordering one right after I post this. That took guts. Anyways, thanks again and have a rockin’ day
Scary to watch Kyle, I'm glad that you made it out. I could see in the first couple of video sections that you weren't the "normal" you. Congratulations on continuing to live and stuff.
A great lesson video. I was backpacking at the Chocolate Lakes (one of the most beautiful spots I've ever been - very near Bishop Pass) in the Eastern Sierra many years ago and encountered altitude sickness. I started climbing up a hill, fell back and passed out cold. My buddy thought I was dead. I only had a minor headache at the time and had discounted the effects of the 10,800 foot altitude there. The key for future backpacking events was to spend 24 hours at about 8,000 feet (at the parking lot or trailhead) to get acclimated. It takes some people more time to acclimate than others. After practicing that, I never got altitude sickness again. It was also helpful to make sure we didn't hike too much altitude during a day - that's critical, as well. Hope your unfortunate experience doesn't dissuade you from backpacking in the future. Try North Lake to South Lake sometime - it's absolutely majestic - we did it in 8 days, but should've taken 12. Good luck in the future!
I find it interesting that despite how bad off your were, you still continued to document. I think I'd lose all ambition to continue anything but getting back down if i could. Glad to see you made it.
One thing that really helps is to sleep above 6000’ the day before you go in...one of my backpacking buddies suffers from it as well. This was a great video, and it proves how real altitude sickness is....God bless you.
Very glad that you are ok!!!! Wow, guess it can happen to anyone fit - thanks for sharing the experience and what you learned from it. It will definitely help others! Thank you!!
Well you have to know when to stop. You clearly made a good choice hitting the help button
Wow man, I'm glad you are ok. That is scary stuff. Been through something similar with heat exhaustion during a solo hike. I literally stumbled my way out of the bush.
Anyway, I love your videos and thanks for the work that goes into making them.
Cheers, Matt G
glad you are ok now. Thanks for sharing and the education.
A textbook case of HAPE. Growing up in N. California, I had my share of altitude headaches when going up to the Sierras. However, I think it is so important to see (as your video shows) the more serious symptoms (rapid heart beat, fast shallow breathing, cough, etc.), and how quickly they can spiral into something life threatening. Thank you for sharing it Kyle, and I am glad to see that you made it out okay.
I completely understand. I'm wasted for my first full day when I get to Tahoe from San Jose. Kept hearing you and Joe refer to this incident. Glad I finally found it and you made it back safe. Inreach👍
New to your channel. Love the content, glad your after this episode! Keep up the great content on your videos!!
Sorry man, freak stuff happens. Glad you made it back safely.
You should not feel embarrassed, just disappointed that the trip was cut short. You were clearheaded enough to make a rational decision. There is a lesson there for all of us. You did not quit. You took the only option available to you. Your backwoods experience shines through.
Glad you're okay. Thanks for posting this so we all know what to watch out for with altitude sickness.
Wow! This is one scary video. I'm so glad I've been watching you on the Joe Robinet videos to know by the ending you were going to make it!
So glad you are doing well. I did go up as well at 10 thousand ft. I did train for a year for my backpacking trip. It does help! I did feel light headed but it went away. I did Emigrant wilderness trails. Definitely have to drink plenty of water rest and eat.
Sorry to hear the trip did not go so well, glad you are ok. Thanks for sharing all the info related to this, good lesson for all. Never had to deal with that kind of altitude.
Wow! Scary stuff. Thanks for sharing, and so glad you're alright.
Thanks for sharing your experience Kyle. This was very informative and I appreciate the update at the end. Glad to see you're doing well!
Super helpful. Thanks! Doing the same first day in a couple of weeks.
Nothing negative coming from THIS old greybeard sir. It takes a lot of heart to admit when we've gotten in over our heads in ANY situation. Personally, I say "well done young man". Much respect, and don't beat yourself up anymore. Altitude is a world completely unto itself. Oh, and as far as the National Park Service, it's the BEST use of any of the taxpayers' dollars I'VE ever experienced. A buddy of ours got airlifted after a rattlesnake bite. Life happens!
Interesting video and great for people new to higher elevations to watch. Thanks for sharing.
damn dude, glad you're alright. i think this has convinced me to get an inreach or similar device.
Glad you hear it ended up ok, you could tell something was wrong almost right away you look so whipped at your first video check in. Nothing to be ashamed calling for help, at work on the water once we had to call the coast guard in for help.
OMG, Kyle. I'd be worried about a Pt. with a SA02 in 80's and you were 66. Glad you got the help you needed. Blessings.
Glad you're okay. Thanks for sharing the video.
Glad to see you're okay, it could have turned out a lot worse. you came, you saw, you didn't conquer, but you learned and are still living.
Glad to see after all that you're OK Burls, keep truckin'!
That must of been really scary, glad you’ve recovered ok. 👍
It is the smart hiker who acknowledges when things go wrong despite our fitness and preparation. Good lesson to share with those who get lost in the romance associated with backpacking. Good for Kyle!
"Good for you "
Damn man! Glad you are ok and made it through. 5,000 feet and 9 miles is pretty rough for a first day! Welcome to my world. Kings Canyon is the steepest starting point around here. I've learned my limits and try to stick to only a couple thousand gain over about 4-5 miles a day is my max haha. Sounds small compared to what others can do, but those are my limitations. I've had a couple of not as severe reactions as yours, but still not good. Once laid up in camp the whole next day and re-hydrated before pushing on the day after that. Like you said, drinking is key. Pretty scary there for you and it's good to see you made it.
super impressed with how you kept on filming for how bad you must have felt! dang! looks like you made the best of the rest of the trip despite your recovery too. well done!
Good to hear your doing much better. I hope you'll be doing more videos with Joe this winter. Take care.
Very WISE decision. It takes a good man to know his limitations. It is good to see a video that shows an epic fail, while at the same time a great success. Thank you. GREAT video.
Thanks for sharing this. Glad everything worked out ok.
A very courageous video. Thank you for sharing this. It helped me. I'm sure it'll help others too.
New something was wrong, good to see ya back on line 💪🏻👍🏻
Great video. It was one of the most educational hiking videos I have ever seen. I will remember not to take altitude lightly. Thanks for your work.
Hi Burley: So glad this is not a memorial. The important thing is not to believe in invulnerability. Thanks for keeping us informed Brian 76
This was a great experience to share. Maybe tough on the ego, but will help others in the future. Well done.
Thanks!
Kyle, good decision making, arrogance gets people killed. My friends and I always comment on what a stud you are at backpacking, all the distance and speed. Don't doubt your ability, this was out of your control. Thanks for sharing the great message.
Thanks!
Glad to see you made the right call, good to see you are ok
Kyle, I am glad you are alright. That was a very useful video, and I think you will be a better outdoorsman for this experience. I totally relate to the feeling that once you have invested all the time, money, and preparation in a trip, that you just want to press on ... but sometimes it's not the right choice.
In a way, it's a sort of statistical issue: As you spend more and more days out in remote places, you have more and more chances to encounter some bad luck / factors that are just plain out of your control. And eventually, when the days out pile up over the years, one will likely get unlucky. The only question then is what you decide to do ... what decisions can you make then that *are* in your control. You have to balance out that impulse to focus on the here and now with the idea that there is always the next trip.
It takes a brave man to admit you are in trouble and ask for help. Glad to see you made it out.
WOW glad to see another video hope you get better,
First time to comment on here but long been your viewer. Hope all is well and that you upload more videos. Please? Thank you!
Thanks I'm doing fine. I hope to do some more videos soon.
Thank you!
Been there bro, I've AMS twice, Humphreys Basin and Carson Pass to Echo Summit trips I have two hiking partners that I will only hike above the tree line both times my buddies noticed my symptoms and got me off the mountain, its how I got my trail name "Sea Level" I've been backpacking Point Reyes since the late 60's next time try Wildcat campsite #6 trust me, it's the best site at PR
Don't feel too bad. Altitude hits people differently, some can take it easier and some suffer. At the start of your video, you almost sound a little drunk as you were slurring your words. Altitude sickness is no joke and has nothing to do with your strength and only minimally with your cardio-level. Some people can take up to a month to fully acclimate to even 7000ish feet. Glad you are OK and now you may be able to help someone else.
God bless you bro. thanx for sharing.
This was terrifying to watch! You had all the symptoms. Thank God the weather was conducive to a chopper rescue! FYI, in non pressurized airplanes, oxygen is required if you are at 10,000 feet for more than 30 minutes! Think about that! The only way to "train" for altitude, is to go up and down over several days. Anything over 10k feet without aclimatizing, is asking for trouble. Glad you made it!!
hey man I feel for you! you made a call and a smart one at that...no hike is worth your life it's about enjoying the outdoors and busting your ass to get away from it all...I live in manitoba Canada its mighty flat but even people here need to call search and rescue when something goes wrong or can't continue to move on the trail and that feeling of wtf or shame takes you over for a bit but like all things that happen your life you learn from it. keep on keeping on and try it again when your better I look forward to seeing you do it! thanks for the video
Wow! That was scary just watching your downward progression. Glad you're OK now.
Glad you made it. Thanks for sharing. Pulse-Ox. I had one of these in China, 16,000 feet (Hulong YueShan Jade Dragon Snow mtn) I and the people I tested with it were normal-to slightly higher range heart rate, but 91-92% blood oxygen. A Tibetan guy who works up at the cable car station (no I didn't walk up), smoking!...92-93%. Normal, sea level: 99%. Your water point is interesting. Your lungs were filling with fluid, (the way altitude sickness kills...) but you were dehydrated. A lot of your 'symptoms' were similar to what I experienced one hot day I was on a trail out of water, overheating, walk a few feet, feel totally weak, lay down under some chaparral, body temp lowers, I try to walk... Also altitude sickness from what I've read hits almost randomly-so don't blame yourself. It could be your 100th trip. I once had a curious altitude problem, Rocky Mtn National Park, 10000 feet, I'd been working hard in Denver for two days (5000 feet) so I could use the third day to drive up to the park. Checked into a motel, exhausted, sleepy, yet I could not sleep, I was agitated, frustrated, ready to go next door and tell those people to be quiet-- they weren't making any noise. The pillow was wrong. Found out later : this is a symptom of altitude sickness. I was still pissy for most of the next day... I usually love being at altitude. Japan has a lot of high mountains, but no high plateaus, so you never really acclimate. Yunnan, China (where I was at 16,000, ) Kunming (6200) then the Himalayas, Lijiang 7870, Shangrila 10,350, Tiger Leaping Gorge 12,000. Over a couple of days you quickly acclimate and when you come back down you feel like superman for about two weeks. And you forgot the one main piece of advice 'climb high, sleep low,' hike up to x,000 but then hike back down to a lower altitude to sleep. Be interesting if you went back and repeated the hike, this time more aware, acclimate a bit more, but maybe try to climb to the altitude you first noticed symptoms. I'll bet you won't have any problems at all. Of course don't do anything your doctor, or you, or a park ranger thinks is unwise.
lucky you had the call system. glad you are better now. that is nothing to mess with. Mark
Wow Kyle.... So sorry that this unfortunate event had to happen to you. Wishing you all the best.... This is very helpful for me though as I am thinking of doing some hiking out in the Rockys .... I only live 4 hours from Denver so its not that far for me to travel really.... Sure sounds a bit scary from your point of view on this trip considering I live in flatland Kansas lol... Thanks much for the upload
Glad your OK. Good thing you were prepared for an emergency. Get better and take care, Al
Glad you're ok buddy! Super crazy.
Glad you punched the button when you did. Curious what the helicopter ride cost you.
Scary Stuff. Good to hear the inReach helped you out. Thanks for sharing.
it was funny to watch you and Joe canoeing and camping. when are guys going to have another trip?
Quite a scary video. I'd like to recommend that you take a Wilderness First Aid course. That's one of the things we cover. HAPE that you experienced is quite advanced altitude sickness. Glad you are ok!
John that is a great idea and its already on my list to do this winter when the weather is bad. There have been two occasions this year when I felt that my medical knowledge was not up to par and that will not happen again next year.
Wow! Glad you are all good.
Wow, I always wondered what happens when you get altitude sickness.. glad you're ok!
OMG What a shocking video. Obviously so glad you are okay Kyle. You may well owe your life to your decisions to go into your adventure with a means to communicate safely with the outside world. Preparation to all outdoor adventures is probably something we do not see enough of, thank goodness it all ended okay. Best of luck for the future.