BOISE, Idaho — Frozen footprints make a mark on the Boise Greenbelt, leaving a trail on the paths that tread and connect the city - no matter the temperature.
Boiseans brave the cold, using the Greenbelt for recreating or commuting through biking, running or walking.
But clearing the path is more than just a walk in the park.
Boise Parks and Recreation is in charge of clearing snow along the city's 25 miles of Greenbelt, making the early-morning call on whether to send out crews around 3 a.m. based on their snow stick.
"Once that hits our magic number of one inch or more, we'll send out calls to crew supervisors who then call everybody on the snow route to start heading in and go about their business," Clint Stevens, horticulture division manager for Boise Parks and Recreation said.
More than 30 staff members from the horticulture division use an arsenal of different tools to clear the frigid footpath.
"We have converted mowers, we removed the decks and put snowplows on," Stevens said. "We also have four wheeler side-by-sides, like the stuff you see people go out and play in all the time - we'll put plows on those, with snow chains."
Those crews clear more than just the Greenbelt itself, covering about 90 parks and facilities throughout the city.
"They'll do the frontage of the parks, which are required by city code," Stevens said. "And then if they have heated restrooms, we'll do up to the restrooms and around those so they're accessible for people to use. Then moving forward, they just hit those areas in and along the Greenbelt."
To ensure safety on those paths, crews ask that pedestrians be patient - especially after the record-setting snow recently seen throughout the Treasure Valley.
"These men and women out here that come out and plow for everybody and get these accessible for commutes and everything - just practice patience with us," Stevens said. "Especially the more snow we get, the longer it takes - and then the more snow we get, we've got to find more places to put it. So it might take a while, but we'll get what we need to get cleared - and get people out where they need to go."
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