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Moonlight

Black diamond Big Sky, MT

Steepest pitch34°
Vertical1,117 ft
Length2,677 ft
Average pitch25°
FacesNE
Top9,691 ft

Moonlight drops 1,117 vertical feet over 2,677 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 34° about 180 feet below the top. That's steeper than 81% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 84th steepest of 290 named runs at Big Sky. It faces northeast.

How well Moonlight holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northeast at an average 25°, Moonlight gets about 54% of the winter sun that flat ground at Big Sky does, December through March. That's shadier than 90% of the runs we've measured, and the 33rd shadiest named run at Big Sky. Its top sits at 9,690 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.

Moonlight profile

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

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Moonlight 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.