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Upper Pioneer

Blue Northstar, CA

Steepest pitch19°
Vertical213 ft
Length1,044 ft
Average pitch12°
FacesNE
Top7,710 ft

Upper Pioneer drops 213 vertical feet over 1,044 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 19° about 250 feet below the top. That's steeper than 34% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 62nd steepest of 90 named runs at Northstar. It faces northeast.

How well Upper Pioneer holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 12°, Upper Pioneer gets about 75% of the winter sun that flat ground at Northstar does, December through March. That's shadier than 62% of the runs we've measured, and the 34th shadiest named run at Northstar. Its top sits at 7,710 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.

Upper Pioneer profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Upper Pioneer 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.