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Hornet's Nest

Black diamond Northstar, CA

Steepest pitch27°
Vertical459 ft
Length1,900 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesN
Top7,448 ft

Hornet's Nest drops 459 vertical feet over 1,900 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 27° about 1,130 feet below the top. That's steeper than 35% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 20th steepest of 90 named runs at Northstar. It faces north.

How well Hornet's Nest holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing north at an average 14°, Hornet's Nest gets about 65% of the winter sun that flat ground at Northstar does, December through March. That's shadier than 79% of the runs we've measured, and the 13th shadiest named run at Northstar. Its top sits at 7,450 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.

Hornet's Nest profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Hornet's Nest 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.