Monarch is one of the last ski areas in Colorado to not utilize artificial snowmaking in our operation. We take great pride in offering an all natural product and strongly believe that nothing is better than making turns down a trail covered in real snow.  We do however, use several strategies in farming every flake that Mother Nature provides. One of the tactics we use during the early season is deploying temporary snow fencing around the mountain. These fences work with the storm. As winds travel by the windward side of the fence, the wind then decelerates leaving piles of snow on the leeward side of the fence. Our snowcat operators can then push around these piles onto adjacent areas of the trail to cover thin spots. With snow and wind in the forecast over the next few days, the snow farmers have been hard at work.