Travel Tips

Weather and Altitude

The diverse terrain and higher elevations in the Southern Rockies can result in rapidly changing weather throughout the year. Although we’re lucky to have 300 days of sunshine and more than 300 inches of snow in the mountains per year, our weather is varied and can be unpredictable. It is important to be prepared with the proper protective clothing. Our advice is to dress in layers, as the daily temperatures can vary considerably.

Some visitors feel the affects of altitude sickness, which can cause headaches, nausea and/or fatigue. This can happen when travelling to a high elevation too quickly from a lower elevation. Make sure to drink lots of water daily, curb alcohol and tobacco consumption, and plan to spend a night or two at an intermediate elevation before traveling to higher elevations in the mountains.

Because the air is thinner and the higher elevation puts you closer to the sun, the sun’s rays are more powerful than at sea level – without sunscreen, you can easily sunburn even on overcast, cool days.

Average Temperatures

The chart below represents Durango, Colorado, but will give you a general idea of average temperatures and precipitation in surrounding Southern Rockies destinations.

Time Zone

Colorado and New Mexico are in the Mountain Time Zone (MST). The time difference to the Eastern Time Zone (EST) is +2 hours (if it is 12 Noon in MST, it is 2 p.m. in EST). MST is one-hour ahead of the Pacific Time Zone (PST) (if it is 12 Noon in MST, it is 11 a.m. in PST). Compared with Great Britain, the time difference amounts to seven hours (-7 hours) and to Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland eight hours (-8 hours).

What to Pack

Whatever your plans are for a day outing, several simple items will make the adventure more safe and comfortable.

Make sure you have the following basics with you:

• Sunscreen
• Warmer clothing to layer (nights and early mornings are quite cool)
• Jacket/sweatshirt (yes, even in summer)
• Food/snacks
• Fresh water
• Matches/lighter
• Pocketknife
• Hat/Visor
• Sunglasses

Other useful items to bring include your camera, binoculars, a cell phone, cash, pepper spray and bug repellent.