How to Clear a Path Through 60 Feet of Snow

Route 6 in Japan runs from Toyama on the coast, through a tunnel under Mt. Tateyama, and on to Nagano. Mt. Tateyama is part of the Hida Mountains, where snow falls are measured in feet instead in inches. The mountains can get 125 feet of snow in a year! That's why a part of Route 6 is called Snow Canyon. It is closed in winter, but come spring, someone has to clear all that snow off the highway. While hundreds of snowplow drivers work all winter clearing the streets of Toyama, the Snow Canyon project starts with finding where the road is under 60 feet of snow. Then it get really technical. Read about the process of uncovering Snow Canyon at Atlas Obscura.