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Coulee

Blue Big Sky, MT

Steepest pitch19°
Vertical282 ft
Length1,708 ft
Average pitch10°
FacesNE
Top7,547 ft

Coulee drops 282 vertical feet over 1,708 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 19° about 1,580 feet below the top. That's steeper than 30% of the 5,615 blue runs we've measured in North America, and the 239th steepest of 290 named runs at Big Sky. It faces northeast.

How well Coulee holds snow

Snow preservationGood

Facing northeast at an average 10°, Coulee gets about 73% of the winter sun that flat ground at Big Sky does, December through March. That's shadier than 66% of the runs we've measured, and the 100th shadiest named run at Big Sky. Its top sits at 7,550 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.

Coulee profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Coulee elsewhere

Nearby at Big Sky

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.