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Castor

Double black Taos, NM

Steepest pitch38°
Vertical594 ft
Length1,297 ft
Average pitch28°
FacesNW
Top11,794 ft

Castor drops 594 vertical feet over 1,297 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 38° about 730 feet below the top. That's steeper than 61% of the 2,251 double black runs we've measured in North America, and the 46th steepest of 115 named runs at Taos. It faces northwest.

How well Castor holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northwest at an average 28°, Castor gets about 62% of the winter sun that flat ground at Taos does, December through March. That's shadier than 82% of the runs we've measured, and the 39th shadiest named run at Taos. Its top sits at 11,790 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.

Castor profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Castor elsewhere

Nearby at Taos

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.