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.

The council also reported a vegetation-management program on higher trails that removed dead and declining aspen and repurposed cut material as wood chips to help retain snow, reduce solar gain on dark soils and create better surfaces for grooming machines. Perkins said volunteers spread chips on south- and sun-exposed tread to insulate soil and help preserve thin early-season snow.

Operational upgrades centered on a renovation and expansion of the grooming operations building to house a donated snowcat and small equipment indoors. Perkins said the original volunteer-built structure (about 1,200 square feet) was expanded by roughly 900 square feet, fully insulated and fitted with upgraded garage doors, windows and an off-grid solar system to support block-heater and equipment power needs. "We were thrilled to receive our snow cat, which was donated by Open Space & Trails in 2022," she said. "It...adds so much value to the users of Spring Gulch."

Perkins named several local partners and pro bono contributors who reduced project costs: architect Bruce Barth of Red House Architecture provided pro bono design assistance, and KLNA and Crystal River Civil donated structural and civil engineering support, the council said. She also said the council had raised more than $690,000 toward a $750,000 capital campaign goal and hoped to finish fundraising by March to sustain multi-year improvements.

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Director Gary Tenenbaum introduced the presentation by noting the county increased its support for the council this year and wanted an accounting of results. "They are here to give you guys an update of how they spent your money," he said.

Council leaders outlined priorities for 2025, including replacing worn grooming equipment (snowmobiles, UTVs and grooming drags), continuing vegetation management to improve trail resilience in low-snow years, installing perimeter fencing and clearer signage at trailheads after several incidents of off-route vehicles, and scaling up the building's solar power. Perkins also described outreach plans: school field trips for four Roaring Fork Valley elementary schools and a planned family-focused event with Wilderness Workshop aimed at increasing use by Latino community members.

Commissioners and other officials praised the council's fundraising and volunteer efforts during the discussion and asked about signage, snow retention techniques and long-term operations funding. Michael (commissioner, first name only in the record) suggested the council note county contributions in its annual report; Perkins said the timing of fiscal and calendar reporting meant the county grant would be highlighted in the 2025 annual report. Commissioner Steve (last name not specified) congratulated the council on leveraging county seed money into additional donations.

The council did not make a formal funding request during the briefing. Perkins said several items would likely appear in future funding conversations, and that annual county sponsorship (the stated $25,000) was an important operating line. "Those funds, especially upfront, ... made our investment in our operations building specifically, but really all of our 2024 capital improvements possible," she said.

Looking ahead, the council called for clearer trail signage and parking enforcement, continued vegetation treatments to promote drought-resilient tree species, and additional fundraising to build equipment reserves. County staff did not take formal action during the session; commissioners and staff signaled support and asked staff to keep monitoring progress.

Perkins and Gary Tenenbaum gave the presentation; council board members and volunteers attended and answered clarifying questions during public discussion.