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Playground

Blue Northstar, CA

Steepest pitch21°
Vertical301 ft
Length1,255 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesNW
Top7,842 ft

Playground drops 301 vertical feet over 1,255 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 21° about 970 feet below the top. That's steeper than 50% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 51st steepest of 90 named runs at Northstar. It faces northwest.

How well Playground holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northwest at an average 14°, Playground gets about 73% of the winter sun that flat ground at Northstar does, December through March. That's shadier than 66% of the runs we've measured, and the 29th shadiest named run at Northstar. Its top sits at 7,840 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.

Playground profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Playground 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.