About Us

The Bear Claw Story

Josh & Austin met in early 2022 at the local Shell station while fueling up equipment.

Austin had recently started his forestry/fire mitigation business & Josh was grading gravel roads after purchasing a road grader from Bob’s Blade.

The two exchanged contact information & immediately began working on projects together. After a year of working alongside each other, Josh and Austin decided it was time to join forces and build a team. 

From there, Austin focused on marketing, business development, estimating, & recruiting while Josh focused on leading the field crew & managing projects to ensure 5 Star service was delivered in the field. 

Through this collaborative approach, Bear Claw Land Services was born.

Josh’s brother Josiah joined in 2023 to take over sales, estimating, and Project Management.

Bear Claw now owns & operates multiple pieces of specialized forestry equipment including skid steers, masticators, log grapple excavators, and chippers to tackle land clearing & fire mitigation projects throughout the Rocky Mountains. 

The Bear Claw team secured a federal land clearing project in 2023 inside Rocky Mountain National Park to clear a 20 acre site for employee housing. 

This project allowed Bear Claw to build the forestry team and dial in the field operations for the forestry & fire mitigation crew. 

In 2024, Bear Claw decided to built an excavation & road grading crew to service the growing demand for driveway/culvert repair, septic install/repair, and sewer repair work. 

Going into 2025, Bear Claw consists of two field crews and a back office staff of 3 to deliver 5 Star Service.

The company also owns & operates a Caterpillar 140G road grader focused on delivering 5 star gravel road grading services in the summer and snow plowing for HOA’s in the winter. 

Since inception, Chase, Brock, Ty, another Austin, and another Josh have joined Bear Claw to help deliver 5 Star Services to our local mountain community — including tree removal, excavation, and road grading services in Grand County, Colorado 

Bear Claw Mountain in Winter Park, Colorado.

Why "Bear Claw?"

Parry Peak, aka Bear Claw is the iconic landmark mountain in Winter Park, Colorado, where our company was founded. 

The Bear Claw name and logo is a consistent reminder to acknowledge & appreciate the mountains that we get to call home. 

Whether working with trees, dirt, or snow — the Bear Claw crew commits to delivering 5 Star Service in everything we do. 

 

Our Mission

Whether Trees, Dirt, or Snow — 5 Star Service Is Our Goal!

Our Core Values

integrity

efficiency

teamwork

excellence

5 star service

Our Team

josiah optimized

Josiah hetland
project manager

The guy who helps you turn your "Vision Into Reality." A natural born leader, Josiah works tirelessly to ensure all projects are delivered on time, every time. He's also the person you'll meet with to discuss your project goals. When he's not at work, he enjoys lifting weights, playing hockey, and spending time with his wife, Rachel.

Snow Removal in Services Winter Park,

Austin Gray, gM

Austin enjoys building great teams and solving problems. The best businesses are focused on providing exceptional solutions to real world problems. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife & 2 daughters.

Screenshot

Austin divesta
forestry technician

On weekends, Austin spends his time either chasing snow on skis and snowmobiles in the winter or on a remote ridge somewhere in the summer, dreaming of colder temperatures, typically with the dog. My fiancée also likes to sandbag me on hikes by telling me it'll be a "short day."

josh

Josh hetland
field ops manager

Josh leads our field operations. His ability to operate machinery with finesse while leading crew members ensures every project is delivered with proper care and efficiency. Josh enjoys spending time with his wife Amber & snowmobiling in the winter after his plow routes.

chase optimized

chase pitscka
equipment operator

The 3rd Minnesotan to join the team, Chase brings general mechanical skills along with the knack to operate any machine efficiently. When he's not in the forest with Bear Claw, he travels the state fishing & recording videos on his YouTube channel.

buckey

Josh Buckey
forestry technician

"Buckey" loves ripping a chainsaw (almost) as much as he enjoys ripping fresh powder on his snowmobile in the winter. A skilled arborist and timber feller, Buckey brings the skills, energy, & leadership necessary to complete large fire mitgiation jobs all the way down to residential tree removal projects.

want a new , exciting career working in the mountains of colorado?

We're Hiring!