Rainbow Lake is a 1.5 mile hike, with 150 feet of elevation gain, near Frisco. On average, it takes about 45 minutes to complete. Dogs are allowed, but make sure to pick up after them and keep them on leash since wildlife is common in the area. Free parking is available near Second Avenue and South Cabin Green. The trail is currently free of snow but is muddy and could remain muddy as storms are expected heading into June.
Sapphire Point is another short hike, near Frisco, that offers a nearly half-mile loop that offers views of the Gore Range and Tenmile Range, along with sweeping vista points overlooking the Dillon Reservoir. The trail is clear of snow currently and drains well so mud should be less prevalent. There are tables for enjoying a meal while looking north over the water, and folks hoping to check out more of the area can hop on the recpath system to enjoy more of the wilderness along Swan Mountain Road.
With mandate for ‘more boots and bikes and less cars,’ town of Breckenridge launches e-bike program aimed at residents
75 bikes will be deployed throughout the town to encourage car-free, one-way travel between neighborhoods, businesses and points of interest
By Robert Tann
An electric bike that is part of the town of Breckenridge’s new program aimed at reducing traffic and emissions is pictured with the Tenmile Range and Breckenridge Ski Area behind it. The program allows riders to take 30-minute trips for $3 before incurring per-minute charges. Teddy Wilkinson/Town of Breckenridge
In a bid to reduce emissions, curb congestion and expand public transit, the town of Breckenridge is preparing to launch an electric bike sharing program that will run through the summer and into fall.
Beginning on Saturday, May 20, the town will deploy 75 bikes housed in more than a dozen stations. Bike sessions will only begin and end at each station, a way to encourage short, one-way trips that may otherwise be done with a car.
The program will be particularly geared towards locals, with a bike station within a quarter-mile of 14 different workforce housing neighborhoods and developments, according to Breckenridge Sustainability and Alternate Transportation Administrator Teddy Wilkinson.
“In addition to just having hubs where people live, we want to have them where people want to go,” Wilkinson said, adding that stations will also be near the Breckenridge Recreation Center, the Summit County Library South Branch, River Park and City Market.
Bikes will cost $3 to unlock for 30 minutes. Anything over 30 minutes will cost an additional 50 cents per minute. Breckenridge residents will also be eligible for a membership that costs $15 per month or $50 for the entire e-bike season, which lasts until Oct. 31. Those respective costs are currently $10 and $40 for residents who buy before June 18.
Wilkinson said the program is not intended to replace the need for bike rentals, adding that locals and visitors will still have plenty of reasons to take advantage of the town’s many rental stores for longer day trips across the county.
“The pricing is structured so that to use the e-bike share for a half-day rental would be more than double the rate of a bike shop,” Wilkinson said.
The e-bike program, instead, will offer an affordable, car-free alternative for residents making a quick trip to the grocery store, for example.
A study by the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed that 52% of all trips in the United States in 2021 for all modes of transit were less than 3 miles. In Breckenridge, officials said the more those trips can be taken without a car, the better the town’s overall community will be.
And reducing carbon emissions from vehicles is another key prong in the fight for a cleaner environment, officials said.
“With environmental goals, there’s not one silver bullet to fix it,” said Council member Todd Rankin. “I think all of these incremental, small things hopefully add up to a bigger success story.”
Council member Jay Beckerman said the town council has set a mandate for “more boots and bikes and less cars.”
“Having our residents get out of their car just one day a week, to change their habits just one day a week, can make a huge difference,” Beckerman said.
Outside of its benefits to the environment, biking also provides residents and visitors a better way to experience Breckenridge, he said. Whether it’s exploring the riverwalk corridor or musing at public art.
“I think that you can view the assets of our town’s core better on foot or on bike than in an automobile,” Beckerman said.
While this year’s program is a pilot, town officials said they hope to continue and even expand it into the future, should it prove successful.
The town contracted with Drop Mobility, which provided the bikes for the program, to the tune of $243,000. Half of that cost was supported by a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation, according to Wilkinson.
And with clean energy funding made available through two new federal laws, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more money may be coming down the pike for such programs, Wilkinson said.
Compared with the cost for a single diesel bus, which Wilkinson said can be as much as $500,000, the e-bike program is “a very economical way to deploy public transportation and provide a way for the public to get around,” he said.
Residents and visitors looking to use a bike will need to download the Breck E-Ride app, which will allow them to pay for their ride, look at a map of docking stations and show if bikes are available at any given time.
More information on the app can be found online at BreckERide.com
We have been getting many calls from our clients in Breckenridge, and all of Summit County for that matter, so we have prepared a quick summary.
SUMMARY
There was a Zoom presentation to the Summit Association of Realtors earlier today 5/18/23, titled “2023 Reappraisal and Appeals in Summit County” by County Assessor Lisa Eurich.
In the one-hour presentation, a ton of information was given, but a few key points are:
You can appeal your valuation, but not your tax
The estimated tax on the postcard you received, is probably higher than the tax you will actually eventually pay — see below (DETAILS)
The state-mandated “appraisal date” is June 30, 2022. Per state law, the goal of the valuation by Summit County is to decide “what would this property have sold for on June 30, 2022?” So, any sales, or market trends, or other factors that occurred after 6/30/22, cannot be considered in appealing your valuation.
The last date to file an appeal is June 8, 2023
The best way to file an appeal is via an email to and include attachments such as photos or other information such as comparable sales. Don’t bother sending sales data for anything that sold after 6/30/2022 – it cannot be considered.
ACTION
If you wish to appeal your valuation, do the following:
Go to http://gis.summitcountyco.gov/Map/ and use the Search Options in the upper right corner to locate your property. Once you find your property, click on Show Detailed Data, and make a note of your Schedule Number. Check the other information on the the Detail Data sheet and make sure there are no errors. Note that “Cond” is short for “Condition of the property”. If there are errors on this Detail Data page, that can form the basis for an appeal.
Go to https://apps.summitcountyco.gov/NOVArchiveViewer/default.aspxand enter your Schedule Number. The next screen will show all of the comps that the automated mass-appraisal system used, for coming up with your valuation. In most all cases, these were computer-generated and have not been screened by a human to check for reasonability.
On that page, click on the “Calculation Ladder – Adjustment Values” and see the detailed info there, and see if there is anything you feel is inaccurate or could be adjusted in your favor.
Go to https://www.summitcountyco.gov/118/Real-Property-Valuation for more background info, and check out the details for your property type. For example, scroll to the section labeled “Condo Model Information” if your property is a condo, vs a single family home vs vacant land.
Send an email to and include attachments such as photos or other information such as comparable sales. Send it before June 8, 2023
DETAILS
The estimated tax on the postcard you received, is probably higher than the tax you will actually eventually pay, because the tax on the postcard does not take into account:
a senior citizen discount, if applicable. There is pending legislation to increase the senior exemption from $100K to $140K.
the reduction of valuation due to current and pending legislation: $15,000 or perhaps more
the reduction of rates (mill levy rate and assessment rate) due to pending legislation, which could lead to reduced taxes
The county’s analysis is actually very sophisticated.
To determine trends and coefficients and other factors, the county used a 5-year data collection period – the maximum allowed by state law. That period is 7/1/2017 through 6/30/22.
The county then used the data from a more recent period two-year, 7/1/2020 to 6/30/22, to refine the calculations and place higher value on sales closer to the end of the period (6/30/22) as they are more recent and therefore more accurate.
Sales prior to 6/30/22 are “time-adjusted” to take into account the market trends
The Summit Assessor’s office has received over 1,000 requests for re-valuation to date, and anticipates they will receive a total of 5,000 or more, by the deadline of 6/7/2023. Each email has to be processed by hand. It will take a while.
You can file an appeal online, but it’s recommended that you send an email instead, as described above. Due to the volume of emails, the office may not get back to you right away, but they say the will eventually respond to everyone.
The primary factors that enter into a valuation are: sales date, property location, size, and age.
If there is a unique characteristic of your property, mention it in your email. For example, a recently obstructed view due to new construction, or a big difference between the condition of your property vs others that are selling in the same complex, etc.
The presenter said, when it comes to appealing your valuation, “don’t overthink it” – just provide a simple clear email stating your case. Remember, they have literally thousands of these emails to go through, by hand. If yours is really long and complex, it won’t serve you as well as something short and to the point.
When considering the condition of your property, the default assumption by the assessor’s office is “good”. Other options include “poor” which basically means uninhabitable, or “fair” which implies deferred maintenance.
If you do provide comparable sales, provide at least 3, and again the sale cannot be after 6/30/2022.
