‘Expect the unexpected’: A day in the life of a Pitkin County snow plower
Pitkin County Road and Bridge work 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. to serve community
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale/The Aspen Times
Not everyone gets out of bed at 1:30 a.m. to begin their morning commute. And not everyone can face the biting cold and blanketing darkness and still enjoy their job.
But those are two things that set apart the Pitkin County Road and Bridge snow plowers from the rest of the community.
“I got into it because I like helping,” said Mike Schauster, Pitkin County Road and Bridge supervisor, shortly after 4 a.m. Monday. “This is a good way to help people.”
Two days after a Saturday snow storm clobbered the county, Schauster said the main objective for the morning was to “clean up” what had already been plowed by uncovering more pavement on the shoulder of the roads.
He maneuvered a tight corner in the $400,000 Western Star tandem axle plow truck, which the county bought less than a month prior, before scraping the edges of Aspen Airport Business Center streets. When weighed with sand, the truck weighs upwards of 50,000 pounds, he said.
Between maneuvering the truck blades — one front plow and one benching wing to handle snow on the right side of the vehicle — the truck’s weight, the county traffic, and the elements keep drivers on their toes.
“(It’s) multitasking at its finest,” Schauster said, adding, “(Mother Nature) can make stuff as hard or as easy as she wants. She’s the boss.”
The storm that came through on Saturday was “wicked,” Schauster said, with lots of wind.
Schauster said he saw a foot of snow accumulate in under seven hours Saturday evening at higher elevations on Castle Creek Road, Frying Pan Road, and at Lanedo by Woody Creek.
During a heavy storm, the drivers focus mostly on clearing the heavily used county roads, such as Brush Creek, Owl Creek, McLain Flats, Upper River, and Lower River roads, he said. Colorado Highway 82 is plowed by the state.
“We focus on the main arteries,” he said.
He said he’s plowed in temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero.
But on Monday, the second day of storm cleanup, Schauster plowed the Aspen Airport Business Center, Brush Creek, Owl Creek, Maroon Creek, and Castle Creek — by 8 a.m.
“I get more done between 4 and 6 a.m. than I do the rest of the day,” he said.
Around 5:45 a.m., ski-resort employees start to commute toward the mountains, followed a couple hours later by the start of the Aspen commute traffic, he said, which makes plowing more difficult.
To meet the heavy demand of the elements, nine Pitkin County Road and Bridge employees work 20 hours per day. They work with 18 plow vehicles in total, ranging from $50,000 to $700,000, Schauster said.
In the winter, six heavy equipment operators work from 4 a.m. until midday. The other three manage the roads from midday until 10 p.m. Most of the crew commutes from out of county, from as far as Parachute, to service the roads, he said.
“We’re like a family,” Schauster said.
In the summer Roads and Bridge grades dirt roads, fixes potholes, mends fences and signs, and trims trees from the road, among other projects, he said.
He attributes the success of the crew to camaraderie and trust. If someone gets into trouble, other members of the crew will be within a radio call to help them out.
“That’s the main thing, keep everybody safe,” he said.
Given the taxing elements, one to two plows per winter slide off the road, he said.
Each driver is equipped with an avalanche beacon that they must keep inside the vehicle as they pass under a number of avalanche paths up Castle Creek Road.
In the 2018-’19 winter season the crew responded to two major avalanches, one burying Castle Creek Road and another burying Conundrum Creek Road. They used excavation and plowing vehicles to clear the roads and restore traffic access.
“It was 4 o’clock in the morning and I got the call,” said Pitkin County Road and Bridge Manager DJ Hughes.
Along with winter plowing and summer road maintenance, Hughes said the crew is frequently called upon for their expertise using heavy equipment and dealing with traffic blockages, he said. They’ve responded to natural gas leaks, aircraft emergencies, road blocks, and more. During the COVID-19 pandemic they helped set up a vaccination site and managed traffic for those getting treated.
The unexpected nature of the job makes it most challenging, Hughes said.
“Expect the unexpected,” he said “You’ve always got to be on your toes.”
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
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