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Orion

Blue Heavenly, CA

Steepest pitch19°
Vertical1,108 ft
Length5,576 ft
Average pitch12°
FacesNE
Top9,747 ft

Orion drops 1,108 vertical feet over 5,576 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 19° about 150 feet below the top. That's steeper than 30% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 100th steepest of 124 named runs at Heavenly. It faces northeast.

How well Orion holds snow

Snow preservationAverage

Facing northeast at an average 12°, Orion gets about 80% of the winter sun that flat ground at Heavenly does, December through March. That's shadier than 55% of the runs we've measured, and the 66th shadiest named run at Heavenly. Its top sits at 9,750 feet.

It gets an ordinary dose of sun: powder lasts a typical amount of time, and spring snow softens on a normal schedule. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Orion profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Orion elsewhere

Nearby at Heavenly

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.