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Northstar

Black diamond Vail, CO

Steepest pitch26°
Vertical1,042 ft
Length4,407 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesN
Top11,018 ft

Northstar drops 1,042 vertical feet over 4,407 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 26° about 70 feet below the top. That's steeper than 28% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 108th steepest of 194 named runs at Vail. It faces north.

How well Northstar holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing north at an average 14°, Northstar gets about 69% of the winter sun that flat ground at Vail does, December through March. That's shadier than 73% of the runs we've measured, and the 56th shadiest named run at Vail. Its top sits at 11,020 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.

Northstar profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Northstar 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.