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Q-tip

Black diamond Castle Mountain, BC

Steepest pitch32°
Vertical186 ft
Length484 ft
Average pitch23°
FacesE
Top5,789 ft

Q-tip drops 186 vertical feet over 484 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 32° about 220 feet below the top. That's steeper than 68% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 82nd steepest of 140 named runs at Castle Mountain. It faces east.

How well Q-tip holds snow

Snow preservationBelow average

Facing east at an average 23°, Q-tip gets about 96% of the winter sun that flat ground at Castle Mountain does, December through March. That's sunnier than 67% of the runs we've measured, and the 68th sunniest named run at Castle Mountain. Its top sits at 5,790 feet.

With little slope to hide behind, it takes nearly the full winter sun of open ground: powder settles and turns heavy sooner after a storm, and spring snow softens early. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Q-tip profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Q-tip elsewhere

Nearby at Castle Mountain

Measured by ZRankings from 1-meter lidar from Natural Resources Canada. 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.