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Shaftway

Black diamond Big Sky, MT

Steepest pitch29°
Vertical597 ft
Length3,029 ft
Average pitch12°
FacesNE
Top8,761 ft

Shaftway drops 597 vertical feet over 3,029 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 29° about 2,280 feet below the top. That's steeper than 50% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 119th steepest of 290 named runs at Big Sky. It faces northeast.

How well Shaftway holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 12°, Shaftway gets about 70% of the winter sun that flat ground at Big Sky does, December through March. That's shadier than 71% of the runs we've measured, and the 75th shadiest named run at Big Sky. Its top sits at 8,760 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.

Shaftway profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Shaftway 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.