Tips For A Healthier Ski Trip

Hitting The Slopes For March Break? Here Are Some Easy Steps To Help Ensure A Healthy Holiday

(AP)  Having your wits about you is also important when it comes to preventing or responding to frostbite, says Arlette, who is an enthusiastic participant in outdoor sports.

Cold temperatures and high speed combine to increase the risk of frostbite, he says, noting he recently treated a snowmobiler who wound up with "beautiful frostbite in the middle of his cheeks."

"The thing you have to watch for is that change that happens when it (skin) starts to get white," Arlette warns. "If it's turned white, that's an indication you've had a really significant thermal insult, which means you've got frostbite."

Skiers who develop frostbite need to get to somewhere warm where they can rewarm the skin. And they should stay there - Arlette says it isn't a good idea to subject the skin to additional cold after it has been rewarmed.

And in the aftermath of frostbite, skin will need gentle care, he says.

"Skin that's been frostbitten becomes a little bit mummified. It dries and it will gradually peel off. Usually you want it to come off fairly uniformly and over a short period of time. So you don't want to pick. Use a good emollient on it. Vasoline works well."

Specially-made emollients can help prevent frostbite. They are a bit like the body grease that long-distance swimmers used to use to attempt crossings of one of the Great Lakes or the English Channel, Arlette says. They should also contain sun protection.

In addition to paying attention to yourself and others, Leighton says it's critical to watch for and respect avalanche warnings.

Whistler Blackcomb has avalanche terrain within its boundaries; experts on staff monitor conditions and issue daily forecasts, which can lead to closures of parts of the resort.

If signs say an area is closed, consider it off-limits, Leighton says.

"Chances of being caught in bounds in an avalanche are slim. But you do want to obey the signage and you do want to stay within the boundary. Because outside the boundary there's no ski patrol, there's no avalanche forecasting or control, so it's really the back country," he warns.

"And people see some slopes that look very inviting in the back country, out of bounds. And they go down there and they spend the night out. It's not anything you want to do. And we end up putting our employees at risk and the local search and rescue with these night searches."