Double black Telluride, CO
Happy Thought drops 905 vertical feet over 2,117 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 44° about 1,140 feet below the top. That's steeper than 88% of the 2,251 double black runs we've measured in North America, and the 9th steepest of 137 named runs at Telluride. It faces northwest.
Facing northwest at an average 26°, Happy Thought gets about 74% of the winter sun that flat ground at Telluride does, December through March. That's shadier than 64% of the runs we've measured, and the 65th shadiest named run at Telluride. Its top sits at 11,960 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.
under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.
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.