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Lower Pinnacles

Double black Big Sky, MT

Steepest pitch63°
Vertical587 ft
Length1,305 ft
Average pitch29°
FacesSE
Top9,800 ft

Lower Pinnacles drops 587 vertical feet over 1,305 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 63° about 760 feet below the top. That's steeper than 100% of the 2,251 double black runs we've measured in North America, and the 1st steepest of 290 named runs at Big Sky. It faces southeast.

How well Lower Pinnacles holds snow

Snow preservationPoor

Facing southeast at an average 29°, Lower Pinnacles gets about 148% of the winter sun that flat ground at Big Sky does, December through March. That's sunnier than 98% of the runs we've measured, and the 22nd sunniest named run at Big Sky. Its top sits at 9,800 feet.

Angled toward the low winter sun, it bakes: powder turns heavy soon after a storm, and in spring it softens early in the day and refreezes hard overnight. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Lower Pinnacles profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

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.