The mitigation work on Monarch Ridge has created an amazing backcountry skiing area here on Monarch Pass.  The thinning was organized by the Salida Ranger District and conducted by Miller timber in 2020 and 2021.  This project aimed to thin out dead and dying trees affected by the spruce beetle endemic.  Local skiers and riders put in their skin tracks with each subsequent storm and slash lines down the perfectly cut lanes off the ridge.  It looks like they have been busy lately.