This autumn, the mountains are still not covered in snow, which has been frustrating. Amidst this, an event was held with permission from the ski resort, where volunteers mowed the grass on the courses.
Here's a report of my experience participating in the work.
The event was spearheaded by the "HACHI CREW," consisting of Yuta Kobayashi, Masaki Kitae, Keita Yamazaki, Ryu Yamashita, and Taichi Sato.
Based in Happo-one and working as ski resort advisors, they turned their attention to a hidden gem: the Panorama Forest Road, also known as Panorin.
Panolin is a detour course for beginners that bypasses the Panorama course. Since its inception, the side hits, drops, and detour walls found throughout the course have attracted an increasing number of people who enjoy it while being mindful of their surroundings. Now, not only are snowboarders and snow skaters enjoying the course in three dimensions by picking out the fine topography, but many skiers have also picked up on the freestyle vibe and made this course their favorite
Perhaps due to the light snowfall, the walls and slopes of this course have recently been dotted with overhanging bushes and drooping branches, so in order to make it safer to play, the "HACHI CREW" decided to organize a grass-cutting event and made a call on Instagram to help clean it up
According to someone who had seen the site the day before, the Japanese silver grass grows taller than a person, and the area where the grass needs to be cut is quite steep. The site seems to be surprisingly hard. I wonder what Panorama Forest Road is like without snow
On the day of the grass cutting, people began to gather one after another at the meeting point, the parking lot of the Sakka slope. About two-thirds of the people were experienced at the work, each carrying their own brush cutter or chainsaw, while the rest were armed with sickles or handsaws. A total of about 20 people had gathered. First, all the participants met face to face to confirm the work flow
Three particularly playful spots were selected on the Panolin course and designated as mowing areas. Kobayashi Yuta, Kitae Masateru, and Yamazaki Keita were to lead each group to the work site. Each group consisted of around six to eight people. They made efficient preparations and drove up the forest road from the Sakka parking lot
Naturally, there was no snow on site, and looking at the non-white course, each participant imagined in their head the line they would take and began to imagine which bushes and branches they should cut. Without anyone giving any particular instructions, they clung to the wall and started cutting the grass. Hard trees and branches with a diameter of 5cm or more were cut with chainsaws, and anything smaller was cut with brush cutters, skillfully cutting down any obstacles that might obstruct the line or get in the way of safe skating
The wall was steeper than I expected, the ground was muddy, and the cut bushes and grass wet with morning dew were slippery, making it difficult to stick to the wall. The slope didn't bother me at all while skiing, but without skis, I never imagined I would slide down so easily
As we had been told beforehand, it was going to be a very hard job. We descended the slope at a convenient point, looked over the whole area, discussed which line would get in the way of the bushes, and imagined the line we should take before moving on to the next work area
Since everyone here is a skier, they mow the grass while imagining the lines they'll ski down.
"When it snows, the weight of the snow will make these branches lie down, so we don't need to cut them too much around here," or "The weight of the snow will make the branches hang down, so I'll cut them off as they'll get in the way when you enter the slope," or "If we make it too neat, it'll be hard to get a foothold for a jump, so we should just cut it moderately," they all chat, the atmosphere livening up as they work.
Not only do the people here love Panolin, but they are all people who truly love skiing.
"Once I started, I started thinking about this and that..." said Kitae Masateru, who became so absorbed in the work that he lost track of when to finish, and went into a kind of "bush-cutting HIGH." By noon, he had mostly finished cutting the area he had initially set out to work in, and headed down to Sakka's parking lot
Masateru Kitae gave the final summary on behalf of HACHI CREW
"We were able to carry out the work with permission from the ski resort, and it was great that we were able to do it safely without any injuries. It was our first time holding the event, but now that we know how to cut brush, we'd like to hold it again every year, or when the trees have grown
This time there were many difficult areas, but in some places the work can be done safely using sickles and handsaws, so I would like to make it something that anyone can take part in and spread the word."
We take the time to maintain the slopes ourselves, creating courses that are safe and enjoyable to ski on. Just like the cleanup after the season ends, events that skiers can participate in significantly increase their attachment to the ski resort.
After all, what will happen when snow falls on the courses that I've maintained? I can't wait to rush there as soon as the snow falls. I'm really looking forward to it.
■HACHI CREW https://www.instagram.com/originalhachi/
■ Happo-one Ski Resort https://www.happo-one.jp/