Photo by Paula Jo Jaconetta.

Before most of Steamboat Springs is awake, the lights are already on at the school district’s bus barn.

Around 6:30 each morning, the first yellow bus pulls out towards Clark as the sky begins to brighten over the valley. One by one, the rest follow – rolling down county roads, sometimes along snowy shoulders and through neighborhoods to pick up students headed for school.

Inside the bus barn is Casey Ungs. As transportation manager for the Steamboat Springs School District, he oversees the drivers and buses responsible for getting hundreds of Routt County kids safely to and from school each day. Mornings begin with quick check-ins, route updates and a steady stream of small problems to solve before the buses head out.

But ask the drivers who work with him, and they’ll tell you Casey makes the job about more than just logistics.

“He’s just one of the sincerest people I’ve ever worked for,” says driver Marc DiPinto, known to kids on his route as “Marcusaurus.” “It’s rare to find a job where you love the work, the people you work with and your boss. We’ve got that here.”

In a town like Steamboat, those relationships matter. Students often ride the same bus from kindergarten through high school, and drivers quickly become familiar faces in their lives.

“A lot of times the bus driver is the first adult a kid sees in the morning,” Casey says. “That interaction can set the tone for their whole day.”

If you’ve spent much time around Steamboat, you’ve probably seen Casey. With long blond hair and a matching mustache, he’s easy to recognize – often with a big smile and, if it’s after hours, a Storm Peak beer in hand. Whether he’s chatting with parents at a school event, catching up with friends downtown, or on the mountain, Casey is the kind of person who seems to know someone everywhere he goes.

That easygoing personality carries over into the way he runs the transportation department. Drivers describe the team less like coworkers and more like a close-knit crew that looks out for one another. Over the past few years, that support has mattered more than ever as several drivers have navigated injuries, illnesses and personal challenges.

“When people are going through tough stuff, Casey shows up,” Marc says. “He’s the kind of boss who will do anything for you. Because of that, we’ll do anything for him.”

That loyalty shows up in the everyday moments – drivers stepping up to cover extra routes, helping one another through long winter mornings, and making sure the buses keep rolling, no matter the weather.

Casey’s connection to Steamboat started long before he moved here. He grew up in Iowa and first tried skiing in eighth grade during a school trip to Minnesota. The experience stuck with him, and not long after, his family began taking winter trips west. During his high school years, those trips brought him to Steamboat.

Even then, the town stood out.

“For a ski town, it always had a homey feel,” he says.

Like many mountain town stories, Casey’s includes a winter chasing snow when he was in his 20s. He spent a season in South Lake Tahoe working at Heavenly Ski Resort before eventually heading back towards the Midwest and later Colorado.

He built a career managing semitruck drivers for UPS, but after years in the corporate world, he found himself wanting something different – something that felt more connected to people.

When a job posting for transportation manager in Steamboat appeared in 2018, the idea seemed almost too fitting. Not long after, he packed up and made the move.

Beyond his role with the school district, Casey has found other ways to invest in the community.

He volunteers with Partners for Youth as a mentor to a local student he first met while driving the bus. When he learned the student had been waiting along time for a mentor, Casey stepped in.

Since then, the two have spent time rafting, bowling, hanging out at the skatepark and grabbing food around town.

“It’s really just about showing up,” Casey says. “Sometimes that’s all someone needs.”

Casey believes that sense of community is what makes Steamboat different from other mountain towns.

In recent years, friends introduced Casey to river trips, teaching him how to row rafts and bringing him along on multi-day adventures through some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes. Last year, he floated Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River and the Gates of Lodore in Northwest Colorado.

This summer, he’s preparing for a 16-day private rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.

Casey also enjoys skiing on Buffalo Pass, golfing or – after some convincing from friends – mountain biking.

“The hardest part about living here,” he says with a laugh, “is there are too many hobbies.”

One of Casey’s favorite Steamboat memories came on his 40th birthday.

He and a few friends rode snowmobiles up Buffalo Pass for a day of powder skiing. At one point, they stopped near the top of the mountain to have a celebratory beverage.

Looking out over the valley that day, he remembers thinking one simple thing: “Yeah,” he says. “This is the right place.”

Editor's Note: Each edition, the staff of Steamboat Magazine selects one or more locals to honor as examples of the strong sense of community that keeps Steamboat Springs genuine.
To become a mentor at Partners for Youth in Routt County, find more information on their  webpage, www.partnersyouth.org or email [email protected].