Thanks for opening this topic, Bob. I see the Altitude Research Center is associated with long-time altitude researcher, Peter Hackett, MD, and they are located in Denver, CO. Their Fast Facts page is quite useful.
Just a note about their location: Being located at 5000' elevation, all the people around there who also climb peaks will not experience nearly as much altitude sickness as we see here with the sea-level-dwelling weekend-warriors. And I notice your note of 30 years without AMS: How long have you lived in Bishop, at 4k elevation? :-) That's a huge advantage over most Californians. You could probably go to 18k before AMS set in like it does for me at 14k.
Included in the Fast Facts recommendations:
* Avoid going directly to a sleeping altitude of over 9,000 ft in one day
* Consider adding a day at a modest altitude such as Denver (5,000 to 6,000 feet)
I would tell people to spend as much time as high as possible, with the idea that acclimatization will occur faster the higher you are ...so long as you don't go so high as to bring on serious symptoms. Most people here recommend sleeping at 8000 feet, places like Mammoth Lakes or Whitney Portal. My favorite is to use Horseshoe Meadows, at 10k. I like to plan a trip where I drive directly to HM, arriving at night, and get to sleep--even inside my car. Next day, hike or pick up permits, etc, and then spend a second night up high. After the second night, I feel I am acclimated enough to climb to the Whitney summit.
