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Ptarmigan

Blue Copper, CO

Steepest pitch25°
Vertical836 ft
Length3,408 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesN
Top12,021 ft

Ptarmigan drops 836 vertical feet over 3,408 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 25° about 1,100 feet below the top. That's steeper than 77% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 75th steepest of 141 named runs at Copper. It faces north.

How well Ptarmigan holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing north at an average 14°, Ptarmigan gets about 67% of the winter sun that flat ground at Copper does, December through March. That's shadier than 76% of the runs we've measured, and the 29th shadiest named run at Copper. Its top sits at 12,020 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.

Ptarmigan profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Ptarmigan elsewhere

Nearby at Copper

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.