Snow removal from Oze hut

At the mountain huts in Oze, it is customary to carry out snow removal work before the huts open in the spring every year. It is a huge job that takes two nights and three days to manually dig out the huts that have been buried under a whole winter's worth of snow. Naturally, the mountain trails are still buried in deep snow, so on the way there and back, people attach skins to their skis or splitboards and walk up and down the snowy mountains.

In the past, they have used helicopters to clear the snow. However, in order to transport the number of people needed for snow removal, helicopters require huge transportation costs for the trip there and back, and because they have limited waiting time, the work time is extremely short. What's more, whether they can fly or not depends on the weather, so the efficiency of the work is low considering the cost.

So, the owner of the hut called us, as we usually play in the mountains of Oze. We traveled by snowmobile to Oike, the trailhead, put snowboards on our snowboards and started walking. As soon as we started breaking through the snow, we realized that the snow was light and didn't sink, and the temperature was low. The conditions were perfect, but we didn't go skiing this time.

When we arrived at the hut, we were all relieved to find that there was less snow than usual (2022). However, the first floor was still completely covered in snow. I remembered that last year, all the huts had more snow than usual on their roofs, and we all wondered how to get it off.

First, in order to enter the hut, we manually dug out the snow fence. Two snow blowers emerged from the opening. Whether they would work or not would have a major impact on the work that followed. It was a tense moment, as we wondered whether the engine, which had been waiting in low temperatures for nearly half a year, would start. We turned the starter, timidly praying to God, and it started up with flying colors. We thanked the mountain hut staff, who are always diligent in their maintenance, and immediately switched on snow blowing mode.

Some people start making preparations to climb onto the roof, some go into the shed to prepare to heat the interior, and some go to the generator shed to start the generator...
Everyone started moving at once, as if they had discussed it beforehand.

Since it was only the first day, we didn't push ourselves too hard. Just as we had made some progress, we heard the "psh" of canned beer being opened. One by one... The weather, which we had been worried about, was forecast to be stable for the next two days, which gave us some breathing room.

It was a silent world. The pure white plain stretched out as far as the eye could see, and beyond that Mt. Shibutsu was clearly visible.

It's no wonder that everyone stopped working early to enjoy a drink and take in the view. This is especially true considering the hardships of having walked all the way here and the dangers of clearing the snow. It was a wonderful moment with a wonderful view. We were the only ones there, and it was a luxury to be there at a time when the sun still hadn't set for a while.

The next morning was sunny, just as predicted. Everyone else was on the roof, except for the two people in charge of the snowblower. They used dump trucks to remove the snow that had piled up on the roof, and long-handled shovels to scrape away the snow that had piled up on the eaves. They then used the snowblower to blow away the snow that had been removed. This division of labor continued smoothly.

I think the trick to removing snow is not to rush, not to get too carried away, and to look around carefully. Every now and then, I'd stop shoveling my hands and look up, and a view of a snowy mountain would unfold before my eyes. A magnificent world unfolded on the roof that was unimaginable from below. Even we, the residents of Hinoemata Village, who live close to Oze, were overwhelmed by the majestic scenery that we don't normally see, and we savored the happiness of being able to work in such a setting.

Once the work was finished and everyone was on the roof, we decided to take some photos.
Have you ever seen such a long shovel? When there's a lot of snow, even this isn't long enough.

Protecting the hut from snow. That has not changed since ancient times.

Even if the people who remove the snow change in the future, the job remains the same. They are the unsung heroes who support the mountain huts so that people can enjoy Oze. Or rather, the heroes on the roofs. We who enjoy playing in Oze are determined to protect them.