Earlier this summer our crew worked in conjunction with the Forest Service to mark out and remove a few small tree islands in Shagnasty.  When Shag was a mostly ungroomed black run accessed only by hiking, these tree islands added a nice bit of character to the run.  With the increased traffic and grooming that the Tomichi Lift instillation brought to Shag, they became a pinch point and created a hazard for skiers looking for an intermediate egress back to the front side from No Name Basin.  These tree islands only contained a few trees each and their removal will allow our operators to be more aggressive in their grooming during early season conditions and create the true intermediate experience to the run that was intended when we changed the trail rating back to a blue.  Don’t worry, for those that prefer an off-piste experience, there will still be plenty of ungroomed lines on the shoulders of Shag and all through Outback.