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Bear Paw

Black diamond Alta, UT

Steepest pitch39°
Vertical751 ft
Length1,806 ft
Average pitch25°
FacesN
Top9,374 ft

Bear Paw drops 751 vertical feet over 1,806 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 39° about 1,210 feet below the top. That's steeper than 94% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 37th steepest of 117 named runs at Alta. It faces north.

How well Bear Paw holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing north at an average 25°, Bear Paw gets about 48% of the winter sun that flat ground at Alta does, December through March. That's shadier than 94% of the runs we've measured, and the 6th shadiest named run at Alta. Its top sits at 9,370 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.

Bear Paw profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Bear Paw elsewhere

Nearby at Alta

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.