Posted by Brooke Gilmore | Jul 13, 2021 The invasion of the spruce beetle has decimated millions of acres of federal forest land, impacting forest health and increasing wildfire danger. So when Monarch Ski Resort planned a project to mitigate the dead timber around their resort, not only was the clearing strategy a welcome announcement, but the use of sophisticated equipment on such steep slopes is a new approach. A crew from Miller Timber completed cutting operations on Monarch’s slopes of dead standing lumber that had been impacted by spruce beetles. The detour and closure have been removed and the normal Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST/CT) route through the ski area is open.