Snow and ice management in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, can be hard work. Drew Weesen, snow manager in the winter and project manager in the summer for Boreal Property Management, has found first hand that the Jackson Hole snow season can pose unique challenges. Weesen says some of their clients have driveways that are a mile long and built into the side of a mountain. It’s also not uncommon to have avalanches occur on some of the properties. The company services both residential and commercial snow work and has a fleet of six trucks with four dedicated routes and two others that are available for special requests — usually from construction sites.
After a snow season that was far above average, Weesen says he’s ready to relax a bit this summer. Weesen says the summertime activities in Jackson Hole are endless — hiking, biking or swimming in one of the dozen lakes in the area are just a few examples of ways he will chill out in the warmer months. We recently caught up with Weesen to find out what kept him going during the trying snow season.
I love snow! As much as I dislike getting three hours of sleep and peering out from an ice-covered windshield, I still enjoy seeing the flakes coming down and piling up. If we get into a good cycle of multiple early days, I quickly adjust and have enough energy after a plow shift to go out and snowmobile or ski. I love it when the sun comes out for a day or two and we can focus on equipment maintenance and cleanups, but I’m always disappointed to see the snow banks shrink.
Keeping people coming and going from their houses during a big storm is a satisfying part of the job for me. Getting thankful waves and gratified smiles makes me remember what an important job it is to keep things moving. Of course, pulling our competitors’ trucks out of the ditch is always a fun highlight of the day, too!
We use a multipronged attack to tackle snow in the most efficient manner. I try to coordinate that attack from both the office and the field. When plows or machines break, I redirect the team to address that route and keep everyone happy.
The BBC News is on at 4 A.M. and their commentary and perspective of the USA is entertaining to me. That keeps me busy in the early morning hours.
I try not to drink my second cup of coffee until 6 A.M. — it seems to keep my energy level consistent and fortunately my beverage is still warm then. My lunch box is usually filled with leftovers from the night before. Cold pizza, fried chicken and kale burgers!
My two biggest indulges are fried chicken and Big Macs! Albertson’s Grocery has the best fried chicken in town — plus it’s cheap.