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Pioneer Willy

Black diamond A-Basin, CO

Steepest pitch36°
Vertical361 ft
Length940 ft
Average pitch24°
FacesNW
Top11,498 ft

Pioneer Willy drops 361 vertical feet over 940 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 36° about 660 feet below the top. That's steeper than 86% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 62nd steepest of 161 named runs at A-Basin. It faces northwest.

How well Pioneer Willy holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northwest at an average 24°, Pioneer Willy gets about 61% of the winter sun that flat ground at A-Basin does, December through March. That's shadier than 84% of the runs we've measured, and the 55th shadiest named run at A-Basin. Its top sits at 11,500 feet.

Shaded snow stays colder and drier, so it holds powder longer after a storm and is slower to crust over or turn to slush in spring. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Pioneer Willy profile

under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Pioneer Willy elsewhere

Nearby at A-Basin

Measured by ZRankings from 1-meter USGS lidar. Steepest pitch is the steepest stretch of about 50 vertical feet along the skiable line. Run lines come from OpenStreetMap and can sit a little off the skied path.