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Cascades

Blue Northstar, CA

Steepest pitch20°
Vertical327 ft
Length1,776 ft
Average pitch11°
FacesNE
Top7,686 ft

Cascades drops 327 vertical feet over 1,776 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 20° about 490 feet below the top. That's steeper than 38% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 61st steepest of 90 named runs at Northstar. It faces northeast.

How well Cascades holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 11°, Cascades gets about 75% of the winter sun that flat ground at Northstar does, December through March. That's shadier than 63% of the runs we've measured, and the 33rd shadiest named run at Northstar. Its top sits at 7,690 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.

Cascades profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Cascades elsewhere

Nearby at Northstar

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.