{"id":1317253,"date":"2019-12-13T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-14T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=991692"},"modified":"2019-12-16T08:18:21","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T15:18:21","slug":"paving-the-way-cdot-plow-operator-helps-keep-roads-clear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/paving-the-way-cdot-plow-operator-helps-keep-roads-clear\/","title":{"rendered":"Paving the way: CDOT plow operator helps keep roads clear"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.1060240963855\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-991692-576\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1-1024x666.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Daniel Montoya has been working for the Colorado Department of Transportation since 2005.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.3961538461538\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.4461538461538\">\n<p><strong>Daniel Montoya has been working for the Colorado Department of Transportation since 2005.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1-1024x666.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1-1024x666.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1-1024x666.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-3-1024x713.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Daniel Montoya does a routine maintenance check of the plow truck at the CDOT lot in Glenwood.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.4\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.4666666666667\">\n<p><strong>Daniel Montoya does a routine maintenance check of the plow truck at the CDOT lot in Glenwood.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-3-1024x713.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-3-1024x713.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-3-1024x713.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Daniel Montoya drivers through Glenwood Canyon on a snowy morning near Glenwood.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.3884297520661\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.404958677686\">\n<p><strong>Daniel Montoya drivers through Glenwood Canyon on a snowy morning near Glenwood.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1024x683.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1024x683.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/MontoyaProfile-GPI-121519-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Imagine: a light snow is falling and low, wispy clouds are clinging to the steep and jagged cliffs surrounding you. The cold river is steadily flowing through the winding and curving canyon that opens into the gates of Glenwood Springs. An eagle rests majestically on the remnants of a fallen tree resting just above the blue waters of the Colorado River.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou couldn\u2019t ask for a better office,\u201d Daniel Montoya said while sitting behind the steering wheel of a bright orange snowplow.<\/p>\n<p>Montoya, who was born and raised in Fort Garland, Colorado, has been an employee with the Colorado Department of Transportation since 2005. He has transferred locations on multiple occasions but admits that the Glenwood Springs area is his favorite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really like this area. I love being in the mountains,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n<p>While studying at Denver Technical College to get a degree in architectural drafting, he was working for a rental company and obtained his CDL.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been intrigued with machinery and big trucks,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been that way since I was young.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy grandfather had a farm and I helped out on the tractors and bigger trucks through to my teenage years,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n<p>As a fulltime CDOT employee, Montoya does work year-round; however, his favorite season is winter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like plowing. I just like the snow and I like playing in it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Although the long hours in winter don\u2019t allow for much time to hit the slopes, Montoya enjoys sledding and snowshoeing with his family on his off days.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of snow so far this season has been relatively normal, according to Montoya, but it hasn\u2019t always been that way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I first started in the winter of 2006 we worked every single day from the first weekend of October until the last weekend of February because it would snow during the weekends,\u201d he said. &nbsp;\u201cThat was a long winter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From 2011 to 2018 Montoya was a heavy equipment operator which meant he was in charge of transporting and running equipment for various large-scale projects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur biggest project was opening Independence Pass in the spring time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Montoya and his crew are some of the first to see the snow accumulations on the high mountain pass every year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c2007 was the snowiest year for me on Independence Pass \u2013 we didn\u2019t get it open until the second week of June,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n<p>As the current Glenwood Canyon crew leader, Montoya knows that a normal 9-5 schedule is unlikely during the busy winter months; and he\u2019s just fine with that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur shifts can run anywhere from eight to 16 hours, it just depends on what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf it\u2019s a big snow event, we could work anywhere to 4:00 in the morning to 8:00 at night,\u201d he said. \u201cWe aren\u2019t really on call at the time but we know we are subject to getting called in. That\u2019s just part of the job and I don\u2019t mind it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Glenwood Canyon is notorious to sudden and sometimes long closures during this time of year. Rockslides and wrecks are common during inclement weather.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRockslides are always on our minds for sure.&nbsp; We haven\u2019t ran into full-on rockslides but do run across the occasional rocks in the road,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever closures do happen, the snowplows are the first to go through. They clear the road in preparation for the reopening to ensure it is safe to drive on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe send the plows ahead of the traffic to clear the way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Long hours on the road can wear anyone down, but Montoya finds joy in being one of the behind-the-scenes guys who make the roads safer for people to drive on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me it\u2019s just the gratification of being able to see what we are doing for the public,\u201d Montoya said. \u201cThat\u2019s probably the biggest benefit that I see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"mailto:cself@postindependent.com\">cself@postindependent.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/sundayprofile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Montoya has been working for the Colorado Department of Transportation since 2005.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent Buy Photo Daniel Montoya does a routine maintenance check of the plow truck at the CDOT lot in Glenwood.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent Buy Photo Daniel Montoya drivers through Glenwood Canyon on a snowy morning near Glenwood.Chelsea Self [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1317253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-06 08:58:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1317253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1317253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1317253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1317271,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1317253\/revisions\/1317271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1317253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1317253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1317253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}