Description

Southbound is the only single black diamond-rated line accessible from the Mirkwood hike.

While the double black diamond ratings on a few of the lines in Mirkwood Basin are debatable, Southbound is certifiably easy with a mere 24° max pitch and widely-spaced trees that are easy to navigate. The line mapped here is the “standard” descent down Southbound.

Accessible via a traverse from the Mirkwood hiking route, hitting this line requires less hiking and no traversing from the bottom of the bowl.

However, that ease of access means this line only drops a mere 262 vertical feet—a small snack of a freeride. As you can imagine, Southbound’s south-facing aspect can become very sun-affected on warm days, meaning that finding good pow here requires perfect timing.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy skiing spring conditions, Southbound offers slushy spring skiing sooner than any other aspect on the mountain.

If your choices are between skiing crust or pushing some mashed potatoes around, Southbound begins to look awfully attractive. For a lengthier option in this zone, be sure to check out [Southbound: Longer](https://fatmap.com/routeid/785455/Southbound:_Longer/@38.5152966,-106.3415655,3823.6710100,-22.6045709,-42.4921752,3493.5921141,normal).