Steve,
I feel your pain. AMS is a strange thing. I've been fit as a fiddle on Whitney, and have stumbled around like a drunk on San Jacinto. I never know what's going to happen. Oddly enough, I've had multiple trips now where I started to get headaches as I go DOWN. I was fine on the way up. At first, I thought it was an unusual anomaly, but it happens more often than not now which baffles me, and is contrary logic.
I returned last night from a trip to Thousand Island Lake, and was really surprised at my AMS symptoms.
We stayed 36 hours in Mammoth, 8000' with no symptoms. Then traveled into T.I.L. at 9800'. I had symptoms for another 24 hours! They weren't that bad, but I felt wasted -- tired, with occasional slight nausea. I was able to eat, though.
Finally, Saturday morning, over 72 hours after being at or above 8000', I felt good. I was able to climb Banner Peak, ~13000' symptom-free.
I have used Diamox in the past, because I usually get the symptoms. But this trip, with the initial stay at 8k, and the fact we were only going to ~10k, I thought I'd skip it.
Next time, I'll know better!
