Totally worth it!
Physiologically, the best-recognized symptom of elevation problems is the headache. What people don't often discuss are the intestinal and emotional effects. Surely there must exist some saints that do not inflict their suffering on hiking partners, but I am not one of them. When I am hungry, or in pain, or just feeling generally "under the weather" my personality warps. Perky chatter turns sullen. It is a serious warning signal when I lose words completely. Dramatic vistas filled with blooms, wildlife and fantastic formations of light and stone morph into looming doom: insurmountable trail, inclement weather, unavoidable poisons. Anger helps me force myself to proceed, but has a tendency to ooze through my veneer of civility. On top of handling personal difficulties, my beloved patiently takes all my curmudgeonhood in stride.
The stately, dignified advancement of my bowels seizes up during the acclimation phase. When I have "issues" at home a good belly massage works wonders, but that's a bit messy for inside a sleeping bag. It helps to consume predominantly carbohydrates during this stage. When I'm finally able to make a donation to a favored tree or flower, I can revert to high protein meals.
Here are the logistics, for those who care. We live at sea level. Locally we can only get about 1K feet (about 1/3 km) elevation gain, but an hour's drive from home I can get in some exercise at 6K'. In the spring we began prep hikes in the desert and local "hills," all less than 3K'. Above 6K', each time I tried to venture upward another 2K', I needed at least 2 days to acclimate. By summer I was ready to take on some mountains by LA, but stayed below 9K' I was hurtin for certain, but with plenty of Ibuprofen and determination (OK, stubborness) I made it. Then we did another weekend trip near there, but did not get much beyond 8K' I carefully played at 6K' in between times, to reduce the loss of that hard-won acclimation. The week before the "real" trip we drove by LA and camped at almost 10K', with vigorous day trips around that elevation. Our first night in the Sierras was at 10K', then we made a base camp at 12K' and hiked above that for 2 days. At last I was ready to try White Mt. The jeep trail to the peak makes it relatively easy. It was all about the elevation. We camped overnight by the outhouse at the locked gate to the Barcroft Research Facility - 12K' The next morning we walked up the jeep trail along the ridge, motivated by spectacular views of Nevada to the east, and even more stunning views, across Owens Valley, of the High Sierras.
