Snot Spot.(COLORADO COOL STUFF small biz)

In the mid-1990s, Monica Martin was skiing with her friends Greg Queen and Susan Miskovsky when inspiration--in the form of a runny nose, strangely enough--struck.

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"We were pretty active ski bums," Martin said. "We got tired of having chapped noses at the end of the day from wiping them with our gloves."

So they came up with a prototype for the Snot Spot, essentially a hands-free fleece handkerchief that goes on top of a glove or mitten. While manufacturing was cost-prohibitive at the time, Martin revived the idea in 2003 with Queen and Miskovsky as silent partners and found a Denver manufacturer.

The first Snot Spots hit retail in 2005; today there are four styles: two for skiers and snowboarders, one for runners, and one for bicyclists. Martin praised the absorbency of Malden Mills' microfleece.

"Initially, you'll see a small snail trail. Then you do a run, and it completely disappears. It never looks dirty, so people don't think they need to wash it. But we highly recommend you do." $9.95 retail.

Made by When I Grow Up Inc., Vail, (970) 331-1792, www.snotspotgear.com. There is a dealer locator on the website.

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