Is there anything worse than seeing a 12-inch snow report, getting on the lift, then realizing your feet are already cold? Well sure, there is, but this scenario is certainly right up there. Many skiers find themselves plagued by persistent cold extremities and while in some cases it’s inevitable—on, say, the  -20-degree mornings at Sugarloaf— but there are some causes of poor circulation that can be mitigated, and ways to prevent it.

There are a myriad of possible contributors to poor circulation, some easier to address then others. Starting on the easy end, smokers complain about being cold when other people aren’t cold when others aren’t. Smoking causes arteries and veins to spasm. The tiny muscles in their walls contract, blood vessels shrink and narrow, therefore depriving oxygen to the tissue supplied by that artery. So go ahead, quit; you’ll hike faster too.