Dobson Pass a rocky road for driver

Cell reception can be patchy in parts of Shoshone County, but outside an emergency, it’s merely an inconvenience.

For Anthony Banker, though he usually loves living rurally on Beaver Creek, the distance from both cell reception and fellow passing drivers was cause for alarm a few weeks ago when he wound up being stranded on Dobson Pass when his tire was punctured by a rock.

This wasn’t the first time for Banker. He had two tires popped by rocks along the pass last year and chalked it up to bad luck.

“I didn’t say anything about it last year because it was the end of the year. Spring happens, the snow melts, there’s rocks on the ground, I get it,” Banker said.

This time was different because his daughter was with him. 

“I was on the side of the road for two hours on the top of the pass in 20-degree weather with my 3-year-old child. Luckily, I always have a full tank of gas so I could keep the car running,” Banker said.

Jaysen McVay, of the Kellogg Les Schwab Tire Center, said the business is used to helping with tire repairs when drivers get a flat.

“Every winter this happens. Because of the gravel they use, we deal with flats very, very frequently during the winter, no matter where in the Valley,” McVay said.

Director of Shoshone County Public Works Jessica Stutzke said in an email that the county has been made aware of two incidents on Dobson Pass.

“The county has spoken with both parties concerning this matter. We maintain our roadways in the wintertime with sanding material,” Stutzke said.

Banker said he filed a tort claim for this tire and is hoping to push for sand use along the pass to ensure safer driving, especially since there is no reception there.

“We should be solving problems before people get hurt,” Banker said. “Les Schwab is patching tires for free, which is nice, but now I have a vehicle that is my reliable vehicle that’s not so reliable now because I have patches in my tires. Time is money and figuring out how to get my vehicle down there with a flat is a burden that you put on people, not just me.”

Banker doesn’t think it should fall on the tire center to make time for stranded drivers. 

“We use the same sanding material from the same supplier as neighboring highway districts," Stutzke said. "In certain areas, such as hills, intersections and bridges, we will use a combination of mag chloride and sanding material.”

Driving around the pass is an option, but if you’re trying to get to a destination in a timely manner, it isn’t always a strong option to avoid the risk of being stranded. Banker said he worries about the older drivers going along the pass who might end up in a similar situation.

“It’s frustrating and I want to start a petition,” he said. “If you drive Dobson’s Pass right now, you slide around like you’re on marbles because you’re on a heavy amount of gravel that’s on no snow up there.”

He isn’t a fan of the chemical de-icers, so his hope is that the county can switch to using only sand on the pass instead of the gravel in order to make it more traversable than rocks and safe in any season. 

Stutzke said the county “works diligently in maintaining the roads for the safety of our citizens."

“Our advice for everyone traveling on the roadways in winter conditions is to please leave for your destination prepared with supplies such as blankets, water and extra food in the event that you should become stranded or delayed due to accidents, breakdowns, flat tires, etc.," Stutzke said. "Make sure you keep your vehicle fueled up and equipped with good traction tires."

    A rock on Dobson Pass recently punctured Anthony Banker's tire when he had his toddler in the car with him, leaving them stranded for two hours. This had happened to two tires last year.
  

    Anthony Banker put the rock was removed from his vehicle's tire and some of the gravel on the road next to a quarter for comparison.