Art wrote:
"So what exactly forces a time varying current to take an alternate
route of travel from the center of the conductor when the resistance is
so low compared to other routes that could be taken?"

Opposing ac current is total impedance, not just resistance.

The deepest fibers in a conductor are encircled by the largest number
magnetic flux linkages. These create a reactance which generates a
counter-emf opposing an imposed current. The deeper the depth inside a
conductor, the greater the opposition to the imposed current.

Look for "skin effect" in any edition of Terman and you will find
diagrams illustrating the various magnetic flux paths inside the
conductor which cause skin effect.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI