Black diamond Kirkwood, CA
Button Bowl drops 560 vertical feet over 1,784 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 62° about 460 feet below the top. That's steeper than 100% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 1st steepest of 58 named runs at Kirkwood. It faces east.
Facing east at an average 21°, Button Bowl gets about 99% of the winter sun that flat ground at Kirkwood does, December through March. That's sunnier than 71% of the runs we've measured, and the 6th sunniest named run at Kirkwood. Its top sits at 8,840 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.
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.