Summit County’s Recreational Pathway System, also known as the recpath, is now open for the 2022 season. According to a release from county spokesperson Nicole Valentine, the path is fully plowed with the exception of sections through Tenmile Canyon between Frisco and Copper Mountain and between Copper Mountain and Vail Pass.

The release noted that although the path is plowed there are still some lingering icy spots and that users may still encounter workers and maintenance vehicles. Some areas, such as shaded underpasses, will need more time to melt and dry out completely. The release said that variable conditions should be expected throughout the remainder of the month.

One area that will take a bit longer to open is the Tenmile Canyon recpath. This stretch runs underneath 25 avalanche paths in the Tenmile Range. The release said that the county’s open space and trails department typically works with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to assess spring avalanche risk. The center has reported a reduction in snowpack in the largest avalanche paths above the recpath, but avalanche conditions will persist as the snowpack transitions to spring.

This season is also the first time the new Fremont recpath alignment will be fully open, which is expected to happen later this summer. The release says the project bypasses a narrow section of Colorado Highway 91 near Copper Mountain, stretching from the existing Tenmile Canyon Recpath to the southern boundary of Climax Mine. The release says that this 3.3-mile section follows the abandoned rail bed of the historic Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad.

The Fremont section is still closed due to a wildlife closure that ends April 30 as well as due to avalanche danger and unfinished portions of the path. The project is expected to be completed in early summer and the public will be notified when this section is officially open.

For more information about the Summit County recpath, contact the open space and trails department at 970-668-4060 or visit SummitCountyCO.gov/OpenSpace.