Black diamond Sandia Peak, NM
South Upper Slalom drops 130 vertical feet over 484 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 29° about 350 feet below the top. That's steeper than 50% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 7th steepest of 59 named runs at Sandia Peak. It faces northeast.
Facing northeast at an average 16°, South Upper Slalom gets about 69% of the winter sun that flat ground at Sandia Peak does, December through March. That's shadier than 72% of the runs we've measured, and the 10th shadiest named run at Sandia Peak. Its top sits at 9,150 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.
under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.
Measured by ZRankings from USGS lidar (1-meter where it exists, coarser elsewhere). 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.