Double black Crested Butte, CO
Staircase drops 729 vertical feet over 1,896 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 47° about 600 feet below the top. That's steeper than 94% of the 2,251 double black runs we've measured in North America, and the 8th steepest of 227 named runs at Crested Butte. It faces northeast.
Facing northeast at an average 24°, Staircase gets about 65% of the winter sun that flat ground at Crested Butte does, December through March. That's shadier than 78% of the runs we've measured, and the 27th shadiest named run at Crested Butte. Its top sits at 10,640 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.
under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.
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.