Montana Resort Unveils New Ski Trail Category: Double Blue Squares
Yesterday, September 27th, Stacie Mesuda, Big Sky Resort, Montana's public relations manager, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the resort's new trail map, which features the upgraded and moved Lone Peak Tram, was officially available.
While the new Lone Peak Tram's line might've been the star of the show, another change to the map was presented: the inclusion of double blue squares.
New @bigskyresort trail map just dropped - including the new Lone Peak Tram line 🚠 and double blue 🟦🟦 terrain rating pic.twitter.com/nOBhqsItw3
— Stacie Mesuda (@Stacie_Mesuda) September 26, 2023
This, of course, begs several questions. What the heck are double-blue squares? Do other ski resorts have double-blue squares? Why add them to the map now?
Big Sky Resort
Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.
First, double blue squares, as you might expect, are just a more specific category of trail difficulty gradation, landing somewhere between blue squares and black diamonds.
Second, other resorts have double-blue squares, namely Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming. Admittedly, I thought the whole double-blue thing was a Big Sky invention before doing my homework -- a presumption that isn't totally off-base given that the resort is one of the few in the world with triple black diamond runs.
Finally, the why of Big Sky's decision, per a recent blog post from the resort:
"While there’s no perfect solution to accurately represent the terrain Big Sky offers, we recognized a gap in our rating system. The inconsistencies started with some of our green runs, such as Safari and El Dorado. Given their steeper headwalls, we realized they would be better represented as intermediate terrain (blue). This created a cascading effect, as some terrain historically rated as a single blue, such as Elk Park Ridge and Ambush, would need a recalibration to double blue/advanced intermediate to reflect their steeper pitch accurately. Additionally, non-groomed, gladed runs such as Congo and White Witch are now rated double blue."
Remember, trail gradings at ski resorts are subjective, designed explicitly to educate clientele and ensure they stay safe. Therefore, they vary depending on the geographical region you're skiing in.
For instance, a double-blue square at Big Sky might be harder or steeper than a black diamond at a Midwest ski resort.
Similarly, just because Big Sky has triple black diamonds -- a map inclusion made in 2019 -- doesn't mean that their terrain is necessarily more difficult than other resorts that only have double black diamonds on their trail maps. It's all about perspective and the management decisions made at each individual resort.
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