In the early season and mid-winter up here in the Northern US Rockies, all aspects can retain cold snow long after a storm. In some cases, a south facing slope can ride just as good as a north-facer, as long as the wind hasn’t gotten to it. With good weather in the forecast and alpine terrain readily available, Nick Frazee, Tyler Sweeney and myself set off to the Big Sky backcountry to sample the compass–east, south, west and even a little bit of north…all blower powder!
Dropping into the shady side:
Wise goats prefer the solar slopes (bottom right):
South facing couloir in powder…check!
