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Cats Paw

Double black Telluride, CO

Steepest pitch33°
Vertical473 ft
Length1,072 ft
Average pitch26°
FacesN
Top9,465 ft

Cats Paw drops 473 vertical feet over 1,072 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 33° about 480 feet below the top. That's steeper than 37% of the 2,251 double black runs we've measured in North America, and the 64th steepest of 137 named runs at Telluride. It faces north.

How well Cats Paw holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing north at an average 26°, Cats Paw gets about 41% of the winter sun that flat ground at Telluride does, December through March. That's shadier than 97% of the runs we've measured, and the 4th shadiest named run at Telluride. Its top sits at 9,470 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.

Cats Paw profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Cats Paw elsewhere

Nearby at Telluride

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.