home of the Pure Awesomeness Factor Better Data, Better Skiing

Class 4

Black diamond Big Sky, MT

Steepest pitch42°
Vertical757 ft
Length1,586 ft
Average pitch31°
FacesNE
Top10,117 ft

Class 4 drops 757 vertical feet over 1,586 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 42° about 1,300 feet below the top. That's steeper than 98% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 32nd steepest of 290 named runs at Big Sky. It faces northeast.

How well Class 4 holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northeast at an average 31°, Class 4 gets about 33% of the winter sun that flat ground at Big Sky does, December through March. That's shadier than 99% of the runs we've measured, and the 8th shadiest named run at Big Sky. Its top sits at 10,120 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.

Class 4 profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Class 4 elsewhere

Nearby at Big Sky

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.