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Milky Way

Blue Fernie, BC

Steepest pitch26°
Vertical291 ft
Length2,395 ft
Average pitch8°
FacesNE
Top5,962 ft

Milky Way drops 291 vertical feet over 2,395 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 26° about 330 feet below the top. That's steeper than 80% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 94th steepest of 119 named runs at Fernie. It faces northeast.

How well Milky Way holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northeast at an average 8°, Milky Way gets about 60% of the winter sun that flat ground at Fernie does, December through March. That's shadier than 84% of the runs we've measured, and the 35th shadiest named run at Fernie. Its top sits at 5,960 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.

Milky Way profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Milky Way elsewhere

Nearby at Fernie

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.