Dusty Ledford has been working with the Colorado Department of Transportation for 17 years, and he looks forward to retiring in 20 years, give or take. Born and raised in Durango, working for CDOT has always been in his blood. His grandfather, father and uncles also worked for CDOT.

“I come from a long line of CDOT workers,” he said. “I have uncles who worked the route over Red Mountain Pass.”

Red Mountain Pass is considered one the most dangerous areas to drive a snowplow in CDOT’s Region 5 area, which covers the southwest quadrant of Colorado. There is always a danger when it comes to plowing snow, especially during storms over mountain passes – and Region 5 has plenty of them.

During the winter months, Ledford usually runs the patrols between Mancos and the Piedra area near Chimney Rock.

“It can get pretty hairy scary,” he said.

Ledford is at ease most of the time behind the steering wheel of a CDOT snowplow, mostly clearing U.S. Highway 160 and U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango to Purgatory Resort. Even a seasoned professional like him can get caught in situations that leave him a little shaken, he said.

“You get those times where you can’t see a thing,” Ledford said. “You look for landmarks, but sometimes you can’t see them.”

Only a couple of years into working for CDOT, Ledford was plowing the roads around the Lower Piedra area and realized something frightening.

“It was snowing really hard, and the wind was blowing it sideways,” he said. “Delineation helps us tell where we are. I was looking for the markers on the side of the road, but I couldn’t see anything. I realized I’d been driving on the wrong side of the road, and then I was just bouncing from one side of the road to the other.”

Ledford is aware of the anger snowplow drivers can cause when they push snow into driveways that have been recently plowed.

“Oh, yeah, we get a lot of complaints,” he says with a laugh.

Ledford advises homeowners to rethink where they put snow from their driveways.

“You can help yourself by not putting the snow from your driveways out onto the roads,” he said. “When we come by to clear the roads, the snow just goes right back where it was.”

Ledford also has advice for those who have to travel or commute on hazardous roads.

“Traffic should stay where it’s sanded or shoveled,” he said. “We work from the center out. Traffic can help by driving where we’ve cleared.”

Something that always worries Ledford on treacherous roads are speeding drivers.

“You have these overly confident drivers speeding past everyone,” he said. “We’re trying to make the roads better for them, and they just go around us. Most drivers are courteous and helpful, but we don’t always get that.”

Drivers who speed around snowplows are putting themselves and others in danger, he said.

“People shouldn’t be passing snowplows, but especially not on the right side,” he said. “We have a lot going on, and we can’t see you.”

Ledford recalls an incident when an impatient driver sped past his snowplow on the right side and accidentally hit the side of the vehicle.

“This dude decided to pass me on the right side and clipped the edge of the plow,” he said. “He ended up flipping his car over, and I had to call dispatch to come and help him.”

Snowplow drivers are often the first to call dispatch after coming upon crashes and drivers stuck in the snow.

“If we’re around and can provide a service, we jump in to help,” Ledford said. “We’re out there for everyone’s safety. We’re looking out for them.”

He remembers a time when he might have caused more harm than good, during a series of unfortunate occurrences.

“This elderly women had slid off the road in her car and down to the creek below,” he said. “She had to climb back up the hill with her dog in her arms to get help. I came by plowing the roads, and I just didn’t see her in time. I ended up smacking her full force with a bunch of snow as I drove by. I felt terrible.”

Ledford also admits to accidentally hitting a homeowner or two with a fresh batch of snow when plowing the roads in their neighborhood.

“They’re out their shoveling their driveways, and I can’t see them before it’s too late,” he said.

Despite the anger such accidents elicit, Ledford says La Plata County residents generally have a positive attitude toward snowplow drivers.

“A majority of the time, people are thankful and have a lot of gratitude toward CDOT and what we do,” he said. “We try to do the best we can. There are goods and bads, but that’s part of the job. You have to love what you do.”

Recently, Ledford’s son voiced an interest in working for CDOT, but Ledford is not sure he wants the tradition passed onto yet another generation.

“I told him to do something else,” he said with a grin.

molsen@durangoherald.com