muikabochi 208 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hard to believe perhaps but some people are just so impatient for the snow to melt! Farmers, hey?! Always looks funny when they go round with diggers breaking it all up so that it melts quicker... What was once pretty snow covered rice fields is now an army of rampaging snow monsters, perhaps escaped from Zao. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Is there more than usual for the time of year, muika? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 I would definitely say so.... the farmers just want it gone now. Link to post Share on other sites
MooMoo 0 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 My family is farmer in Gunma, Katashina town and they do this around this time year. During season they want much snow, but around now time if there is too much they want it to disappear. I feel it is never right condition! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 There's lots of peer pressure to do things a certain way in the farming world. Obviously no-one would have done this back in the day before machines. Round here that would be the 1950s/60s. We can still get ground frosts in early May, so there is only so much you can do in April even if there is no snow left on the ground. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 There's certainly a lot though this year. Round the back of my house there's one area that's higher than me, over 2m. That will be untouched so it will be interesting to see when the last of that melts away. Link to post Share on other sites
jondreads 3 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Around Niseko some farmers put ash on the snow a few weeks ago. The theory is that this makes the snow melt more quickly because it will reflect less sunlight. I don't know if it helps, but it certainly looks ugly. We also had a good dump of snow last week which covered all the ash so maybe they were a bit premature. Link to post Share on other sites
fruity-sachi 1 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I can't imagine wanting snow to disappear... summer and hot temperatures just round the corner. No thank you! I'm Japanese and I don't like summer weather in most of Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 As much as I love the snow and cold weather, if it continues into April, it does become a pain as I do farming, and in fact up until Monday we had been getting sharp frosts virtually everyday, making it difficult to set much outside without tunnels or some sort of protection. So I can understand why the farmers are keen for the snow to melt. Having said that I really wish we could skip summer here, that is just punishing! Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Round the back of my house there's one area that's higher than me, over 2m. That'll be Mt G! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Oh don't be so childish! But seriously, this year it really isn't melting away quickly at all. There's one road near where I live and I remember last year I was riding my bike on it late March - the snow had gone naturally without any help from diggers. Today there's still close to 1m there and it's still blocked off. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 A mate took this pic yesterday at Niseko. You can see many of the fields around Kutchan have a grey tinge to them. The farmers spread black ash on the snow to try and get it to melt quicker. Looks like it's going to be a little while yet though... Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Nice. I don't think they do that here, can't recall seeing it. They just break the snow up like in the pics above - loads more of that this year as it doesn't seem to want to melt away! Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 You can see many of the fields around Kutchan have a grey tinge to them. The farmers spread black ash on the snow to try and get it to melt quicker. Looks like it's going to be a little while yet though... What do they do just empty out the ashtrays from the local bars? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Is that an alpine board I spy there GN!!? Lots of snow left!!! Link to post Share on other sites
akibun 0 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 How long does snow usually last on top of Yotei? Link to post Share on other sites
jondreads 3 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I think there was still the odd patch of snow on Yotei last July. I have no idea when you are no longer able to ski or board down. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Can't they just pour salt on the snow? Or get out some massive hair dryers? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I was just about to suggest extra large hair dryers. Though, on careful reflection over these last 5 seconds, with the "save electricity" thing still in our minds perhaps it is something they considered and rejected. Other reasons for rejection of that idea also include: - lots of hair dryers needed - positioning of plugs Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I was just about to suggest extra large hair dryers. Though, on careful reflection over these last 5 seconds, with the "save electricity" thing still in our minds perhaps it is something they considered and rejected. Other reasons for rejection of that idea also include: - lots of hair dryers needed - positioning of plugs Don't they have plugs in Hokkaido? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I haven't actually been to Hokkaido, but I imagine they do have plugs. But I'm not sure that many sockets will be in the right places for the hairdryers to melt the snow away from fields etc. Extraordinarily long cables and extensions would be needed, itself posing a problem! Ideas are all well and good but sometimes the execution of them poses all sorts of practical problems! Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 You really take time to think through and analyse all the issues carefully don't you pie-eater. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 they could perhaps re-use your domes that the beaks in charge in Fukushima refused, stupidly, to utilise. Then they could attach a long plastic tube from the back of it to a guy with a hairdryer, who could then fill the dome up with very hot air a-la bouncy castle stylee!! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 How long does snow usually last on top of Yotei? The top slopes of Youtei lose it pretty quick through May except in the deeper gullies. The higher slopes above the treeline are very exposed and the snowdepth doesn't get as deep as lower down on the mountain. So the exposed ridges up high become snow free even though there's still snow right to the base. It remains in some of the deeper gullies until into July and up in the crater patches can last into August. Link to post Share on other sites
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