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Gnarly Knob

Black diamond Sunlight Mountain, CO

Steepest pitch31°
Vertical490 ft
Length1,573 ft
Average pitch18°
FacesN
Top9,075 ft

Gnarly Knob drops 490 vertical feet over 1,573 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 31° about 490 feet below the top. That's steeper than 63% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 21st steepest of 69 named runs at Sunlight Mountain. It faces north.

How well Gnarly Knob holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing north at an average 18°, Gnarly Knob gets about 50% of the winter sun that flat ground at Sunlight Mountain does, December through March. That's shadier than 93% of the runs we've measured, and the 13th shadiest named run at Sunlight Mountain. Its top sits at 9,080 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.

Gnarly Knob profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Gnarly Knob elsewhere

Nearby at Sunlight Mountain

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.