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Columbine

Blue Vail, CO

Steepest pitch25°
Vertical449 ft
Length2,168 ft
Average pitch12°
FacesNE
Top9,986 ft

Columbine drops 449 vertical feet over 2,168 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 25° about 1,460 feet below the top. That's steeper than 77% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 112th steepest of 194 named runs at Vail. It faces northeast.

How well Columbine holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 12°, Columbine gets about 75% of the winter sun that flat ground at Vail does, December through March. That's shadier than 63% of the runs we've measured, and the 89th shadiest named run at Vail. Its top sits at 9,990 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.

Columbine profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Columbine elsewhere

Nearby at Vail

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.