Upper Grouse

Advanced run (Run #54) on the Front Side; the upper section of the Grouse corridor. Formerly “Upper Shoot the Muscle” or “Upper STM,” a patroller-developed designation acknowledging the severe quadriceps and leg fatigue from skiing the steep, often un-groomed mogul field. Maximum grade -76.4% (~37.4°); vertical drop 382 ft (116 m) over 1,726 ft (526 m) horizontal. Sustained gradient approaching critical avalanche angle; snow stability depends on compaction and traffic. Historically served by the Eagle Poma; now accessed via Top of the World Express or Grizzly Gondola. Prevailing southwesterly winds scour the entrance and deposit snow into Pika Trees and Eagle Meadows; leaving the pitch firm or hard-packed. Part of the Eagle patrol area, a high-accident zone where beginners sometimes inadvertently enter from Top of the World. Rescues on the steep pitch require belayed toboggans. Only 15% man-made snow (vs 50% on blues); often variable, moguled, wind-affected. Veterans still call it “the STM.”