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Surprise

Blue Steamboat, CO

Steepest pitch24°
Vertical309 ft
Length1,108 ft
Average pitch16°
FacesNE
Top8,618 ft

Surprise drops 309 vertical feet over 1,108 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 24° about 700 feet below the top. That's steeper than 72% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 93rd steepest of 195 named runs at Steamboat. It faces northeast.

How well Surprise holds snow

Snow preservationAverage

Facing northeast at an average 16°, Surprise gets about 78% of the winter sun that flat ground at Steamboat does, December through March. That's shadier than 58% of the runs we've measured, and the 55th shadiest named run at Steamboat. Its top sits at 8,620 feet.

It gets an ordinary dose of sun: powder lasts a typical amount of time, and spring snow softens on a normal schedule. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Surprise profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Surprise elsewhere

Nearby at Steamboat

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.