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Porcupine

Blue Taos, NM

Steepest pitch24°
Vertical881 ft
Length3,767 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesNW
Top11,119 ft

Porcupine drops 881 vertical feet over 3,767 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 24° about 2,310 feet below the top. That's steeper than 67% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 84th steepest of 115 named runs at Taos. It faces northwest.

How well Porcupine holds snow

Snow preservationAverage

Facing northwest at an average 14°, Porcupine gets about 79% of the winter sun that flat ground at Taos does, December through March. That's shadier than 56% of the runs we've measured, and the 77th shadiest named run at Taos. Its top sits at 11,120 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.

Porcupine profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Porcupine 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.