funnyman7878 wrote:
And now that I did my analysis, I think I went about the whole hike wrong. First and foremost, I should've camped out at the trailhead at 11600'... as someone else pointed out on this thread camping at 8'500 ft barely qualifies as acclimatization LOL!, then I should've started the hike way early, like at 6am stead of 9am (and felt the need to rush) and taken at least 20 min breaks every 1000ft of ascent... live and learn...
You seem to read all the long posts in all the threads you have started, but being that this all seems very new to you, I'm not sure which points end up sticking with you most. I''ll be direct and specific. Sleeping at 8,500 can be valuable, but only as a beginning to the process. On that White Mountain scenario you would very likely have done better doing exactly what I mentioned in the other thread (day 1--camp a night at 8,500 in the campground, hike around some there to take in some views the first evening if time allows, maybe hike up to or around at the nearby roadside vista point, day 2-- hike at 10,000 to 12,000 feet in one or both Bristlcone Pine groves or to a lower peak in the Whites, maybe camp at the trailhead at 12,000 feet if feeling no symptoms and sleep at altitude is going well, day 3--hike White Mountain Peak well rested, well hydrated, well fed, and at a slow pace to not overexert yourself.)
As others have mentioned, sleep lower for recovery if sleeping high goes poorly for you. Be aware of HACE and HAPE symptoms. I have foolishly risked early symptoms by trail running, going too fast, or not staying hydrated enough all above 12,000 and 13,000 feet.
Yeah, hiking with 2,000 feet of gain and a fraction of the oxygen available is vastly different than hiking down low.
I barely even listen or know the answer when someone mentions number of miles on a route I am doing or planning. Altitude, amount of gain, amount of up and down and back up again, terrain, conditions, weather, beauty, and solitude are the main factors that influence my decisions, not miles. Now don't get me wrong; learning your average pace per mile in various types of terrain can be very valuable in your planning and decision making process.