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High Noon

Black diamond Taos, NM

Steepest pitch28°
Vertical261 ft
Length1,518 ft
Average pitch12°
FacesNW
Top11,036 ft

High Noon drops 261 vertical feet over 1,518 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 28° about 1,100 feet below the top. That's steeper than 43% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 76th steepest of 115 named runs at Taos. It faces northwest.

How well High Noon holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northwest at an average 12°, High Noon 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 40th shadiest named run at Taos. Its top sits at 11,040 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.

High Noon profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like High Noon 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.