Mount Sopris Nordic Council credits Pitkin County support for trail, grooming and building upgrades

Mount Sopris Nordic Council Executive Director Rachel Bachman Perkins updated Pitkin County elected officials and Open Space & Trails staff on the council's 2023'024 capital and operations work, saying county funds and a community capital campaign helped finance trail-building, forest restoration and a major expansion of the ski-area grooming operations building.

"We're excited for this opportunity to share an update on what we accomplished this year and, mostly to thank you," Rachel Bachman Perkins said during the joint work session. She credited Pitkin County Open Space and Trails for a $25,000 annual operating contribution and for a larger challenge grant that the council said helped unlock community donations.

The council described two primary goals for recent capital work: improving climate resilience of the Spring Gulch ski system and strengthening day-to-day operations for volunteers and paid staff. On the resilience side, the group said it completed about 7 kilometers of new trails in 2022'023, and installed a mid-elevation parking lot to give skiers faster access to higher, more snow-reliable terrain. Perkins said crews added 225 tons of road base and gravel this spring to reduce settling and improve drainage at the new lot.

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