Black diamond Bear Valley, CA
Flying Serpent drops 979 vertical feet over 2,110 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 42° about 430 feet below the top. That's steeper than 98% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 11th steepest of 74 named runs at Bear Valley. It faces north.
Facing north at an average 28°, Flying Serpent gets about 44% of the winter sun that flat ground at Bear Valley does, December through March. That's shadier than 96% of the runs we've measured, and the 12th shadiest named run at Bear Valley. Its top sits at 7,960 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.
under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.
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.