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Porcupine

Black diamond A-Basin, CO

Steepest pitch38°
Vertical886 ft
Length2,398 ft
Average pitch22°
FacesNW
Top11,845 ft

Porcupine drops 886 vertical feet over 2,398 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 38° about 1,040 feet below the top. That's steeper than 92% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 50th steepest of 161 named runs at A-Basin. It faces northwest.

How well Porcupine holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northwest at an average 22°, Porcupine gets about 72% of the winter sun that flat ground at A-Basin does, December through March. That's shadier than 68% of the runs we've measured, and the 81st shadiest named run at A-Basin. Its top sits at 11,850 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.

Porcupine profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Porcupine 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.