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Taildragger

Black diamond Blacktail, MT

Steepest pitch24°
Vertical717 ft
Length2,651 ft
Average pitch16°
FacesNE
Top6,183 ft

Taildragger drops 717 vertical feet over 2,651 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 24° about 140 feet below the top. That's steeper than 21% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 4th steepest of 20 named runs at Blacktail. It faces northeast.

How well Taildragger holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northeast at an average 16°, Taildragger gets about 63% of the winter sun that flat ground at Blacktail does, December through March. That's shadier than 81% of the runs we've measured, and the 10th shadiest named run at Blacktail. Its top sits at 6,180 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.

Taildragger profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Taildragger elsewhere

Nearby at Blacktail

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.