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Hammerhead

Black diamond Alta, UT

Steepest pitch43°
Vertical406 ft
Length1,250 ft
Average pitch20°
FacesNW
Top9,906 ft

Hammerhead drops 406 vertical feet over 1,250 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 43° about 10 feet below the top. That's steeper than 98% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 17th steepest of 117 named runs at Alta. It faces northwest.

How well Hammerhead holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northwest at an average 20°, Hammerhead gets about 76% of the winter sun that flat ground at Alta does, December through March. That's shadier than 61% of the runs we've measured, and the 51st shadiest named run at Alta. Its top sits at 9,910 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.

Hammerhead profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Hammerhead 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.