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Race Course

Blue Kirkwood, CA

Steepest pitch23°
Vertical543 ft
Length2,100 ft
Average pitch15°
FacesNE
Top8,499 ft

Race Course drops 543 vertical feet over 2,100 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 23° about 430 feet below the top. That's steeper than 65% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 43rd steepest of 58 named runs at Kirkwood. It faces northeast.

How well Race Course holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 15°, Race Course gets about 72% of the winter sun that flat ground at Kirkwood does, December through March. That's shadier than 68% of the runs we've measured, and the 24th shadiest named run at Kirkwood. Its top sits at 8,500 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.

Race Course profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Race Course elsewhere

Nearby at Kirkwood

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.