It’s day two at this altitude, and I’m wandering the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado (2,840 metres above sea level) with a tampon hanging out of my nose. 

Tissues just won’t stem the flow of blood, and save for sitting down with a plastic bag of snow on my face, this was the only solution my wife and I could think of to sort the issue quickly. My lips are cracked, and my face feels like a dry riverbed. I wish I’d known earlier just how crucial constant hydration is here. 

That’s because the state of Colorado is an enigma. With an average altitude of 2,072 metres above sea level, Colorado is the highest State in the country. Roughly three-quarters of the entire country’s land mass that sits above 3,000 metres is in Colorado.

Among its breathtaking mountains, world-class skiing and burgeoning gastronomical scene, these are the six things you need to know before visiting the Centennial State. Picture: Jeremy Drake

1. Nose bleeds and headaches

Don’t underestimate the need to acclimatise. Colorado has more peaks higher than 4,260 metres than anywhere else in the US - 58 of them! Here, they call them ‘14ers’, which is short for 14,000 feet. I first arrived in the tiny mountain town of Durango late at night, and just a few hours into my visit felt like I’d been hit by a bus. Headaches were persistent, and my first few nights of sleep felt like I’d been drinking heavily (I hadn’t!). One night, my nosebleed was so bad I had to phone house keeping to change my bed linen.

2. Don’t underestimate your humidifier

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You’ll hear it from every hotel desk receptionist and mountain guide you meet during your visit. Trust them. Avoid coffee when you wake up, and drink at least one litre of water first.  When you arrive in your hotel room, check if they have a humidifier. Set it up and use it; in fact, call hotel reception and get a second one. Try to turn your room into a terrarium, and your future self will thank you. If you don’t have one, you can fill your bathtub or basin with hot water just before you sleep. Picture: Jeremy Drake

3. The prices will surprise you

On my first day in Aspen, my gondola buddy had a pair of Prada-branded skis, and she was using an app on her phone to turn up the temperature on her heated socks. It was wild and on another level of opulence. Aspen and Vail (pictured) are the playgrounds for America’s rich and famous, but more generally, skiing across Colorado is not cheap. The current exchange rate doesn’t make it easier, either. The best advice is to book well in advance and invest in the IKON or EPIC ski pass (depending on which mountain you’re visiting) to get the most value out of your lift ticket and ski rentals.

4. But it doesn’t have to be expensive

At a pinch, Aspen does free coffee (and sometimes free hotdogs) on the mountain. Still, if you’re an Aussie visiting Colorado on a budget, I suggest skiing in one of the smaller, lesser-known resorts like Sunlight Mountain or Ski Cooper for the most value. Both are great destinations for families; they have variable lift pricing. Ski Cooper is also home to North America’s highest-elevation Irish Pub - Katie O’Rourke’s, which serves affordable (and delicious) beer and food. Picture: Tamara Susa.

5. The history of the 10th

It's not just all about luxury enclaves like Telluride (pictured). Soon after the US entered World War Two, an elite group of soldiers called the 10th Mountain Division began training in remote Colorado to prepare for wintery war conditions in the Italian Alps. Their legacy is celebrated everywhere and undoubtedly has shaped the landscape and ski culture of the region. The Camp Hale National Monument (where they were based) is well worth a visit, as is the luxury dining experience, The 10th, located at MidVail on Vail Mountain.

6. Colorado’s soak culture is elite

Like Japan, Colorado has a slew of natural hot springs, except the Americans have taken the post-ski soak experience and have not only enhanced it but socialised it. I visited Glenwood Springs and Durango Hot Springs, where locals and tourists gather in steaming hot pools in the fading light with cocktails, food trucks, and live music on the weekends.  Picture: Jeremy Drake.

See also:

5 tips to save on a snow holiday this winter

5 tips for taking kids to the snow for the first time