The utilisation of ice and snow - a number of perspectives

Jouni Kauhanen 30.1.2018 Upper Secondary School Focus

I will discuss some of the issues related to the utilisation of snow and ice in agrarian . I will limit my handling to the Oulujärvi lake waterway

Ice roads on Oulujärvi

• During the era of horse drawn traffic, roads were generally not ploughed, but the roads remained open only through use, creating a downtrodden road. In the surrounding area of ​​Oulujärvi lake, the first stipulations concerning ploughing were issued in the 1770s. Lake passages were not ploughed, but the downtrodden roads were formed as a result of being used.

• The winter roads crossing the lakes were marked every 21 meters on both sides. The main winter road in the Vaala region was Keisarintie over Oulujärvi lake, from the tip of Säräisniemi, Olkkolanniemi, to Painanne, Manamansalo. From Manamansalo, the winter road continued through Pehkola to . Roads in the 1770´s; Nro 3 water and ice roads. Kauhanen & Lavento 2013, 85. Ice block bridges on river

News on the building of an ice block bridge over Oulujoki in the Kaleva newspaper. Kaleva11.1.1900. Building an ice block bridge. Maarit Vuorela, Tarja Vimpari Ed. 2013, 24-25. Sketches by Ilpo Koskela. Reports from Oulujoki river. Municipality of Utajärvi in ​​2013. The lifting of ice

Lifting ice blocks from a hole in the ice by ice sleigh from in the 1930's. There is an ice saw at the front of the image. Uuno Peltoniemi. National Agency photo archive. KK5575_6389. ….

• The lifting and preservation of ice were associated with the storing of food in warm weather. During the summer, the storage of fresh products, such as milk, meat and fish, was problematic, due to the warm weather. This was particularly problematic in dairy farms, which had large volumes of milk to be kept cold whilst waiting awaiting dairy transportation. Ice was also lifted for the needs of dairies, city stores, restaurants and more affluent private households.

• During older farming periods, the lifting of ice took place in the early spring, usually between January - February, when the ice was thicker. At that time, it was already light outside, but still very cold.

The lifting of ice in in 1928 and an announcement by Dairy in 1925. Kaiku newspaper 23.2.1928 and Kainuun Sanomat newspaper 3.12.1925. …

• The lifting of ice began to decrease during the 1960s when the presence of electric refrigerators became more common in households. Winter roads in forestry

• Winter roads (side roads) were built and are still being built for the transportation needs of the forestry industry. In Finland, these roads were most commonly general passageways to peripheral logging sites, whereby the logs were taken to water channels for log driving purposes. Winter roads were, earlier, in particular, important passageways for rural settlements that would otherwise remain disconnected. Horses pulling timber loads along a winter road. The load bearing capacity of the road bases were improved by freezing them with water. Machines began to overthrow horse power during the 1960s. Vaala 1958. Photo V06011: 3886 JE Arnkil / Lusto / Collection of Metsähallitus Development Section. The front sledge of a log sled in the Säräisniemi Homeland Museum. There is a movable bunk in the centre. The sled, which also includes the back sledge, is from Enonlahti from the 1950's. Photo by Iita Tanskanen 2017. A Finnish horse pulling a timber load in in 1947. Photo by Otso Pietinen. National Board of Antiquities. HK19681123: 2358.267. Timber bundles have been dropped onto the ice in clear lines that can easily be assembled into stacked loads. Oulujoki. Photo Unto Paasio 1963. V04001: 1985. Lusto / Uittoteho ry's collection. Winter fishing, hunting and skiing

• The traditional dining table of the area included bread, potatoes, sour milk and salty fish. Despite the importance of home fisheries, winter fishing was mainly limited to the catching of mate. Prior to this, for the winter, fishing took place during times of melt water, whereupon the catch was then dried or salted. The Oulujärvi fish-granary was an attraction even during ancient times. Since then, Oulujärvi's reputation for its pike has attracted coastal peasants to the wilderness of Kainuu and during the 16th century, from Savonian settlements. Pike (dried pike) was a major taxpayer for a long time. …

• Winter fishing only started to develop in Kainuu during the 1920's. During the middle of the decade, it was calculated that there were already 3,000 winter nets in Oulujärvi lake. The net mesh size ranged from between 30 to 60 millimetres. A driving sheet used to drive the net under the ice was introduced in 1928, but it only replaced spruce driving poles decades later. …

• Even after the last wars, the seines of Oulujärvi fishermen were made from hemp and cotton. Six men and two horses were required to pull out the winter seines. Cotton yarn was still in use during the 1960s. With the development of materials, a smaller set was achieved.

• Nylon nets came onto the Kainuu market during the early 1950’s. Fishing for whitefish in Oulujärvi during ​​the 1980's. Photo from the collections of the municipality of Vaala. Vaala teacher and entrepreneur Aleksi Väisänen (formerly Jeffrimoff) was an avid fisherman. Väisänen with a jig in the 1950's. J. Kauhanen 2010, Aleksi Väisänen 1898–1972. …

• Tracks from game and predatory animals in snow drifts have made it easier for hunters to find their catch. On the other hand, snow provides shelter for animals and birds (for example, forest birds find protection against the cold in snowdrifts). Wolverine tracks in a Vaala snowdrift in the 1960s. The wolverine still exists in the Vaala region. The photo also shows otter tracks. Photo by Juhani Kovalainen. Vaala boys building a snow castle in the 1940s, alongside the current Vaalantie road. Photo from A. Väisänen's collections. A skate from the Säräisniemi Homestead Museum. Photo by Iita Tanskanen 2017. Vaala boys on a ski trip in National Park at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. The park was founded in 1956. Photo by Juhani Kovalainen. …

• The first skiing and ski jumping competitions in Finland were held in Helsinki on March 9, 1886. The competitions were organized by Helsinki Sports Club and held at Korkeasaari. The hero of the first ski races was skier Antti Väyrynen from . Väyrynen graduated from a 2-year forestry course in Evos in October 1886 and gained a position at the Nokia paper mill.

• Competition skiing was established in Oulujokilaakso already in the late 19th century. Oulu was known for the skiing competitions of its volunteer fire department and platoon, which were not however mass-events. The Oulu IV's sniper platoon’s skiing activity played a significant role in the development of Oulu skiing. The oldest ski race in the Oulu region is Tervahiihto. The first Oulu skiing event was held in 1889. The 32- kilometer race was won by 44-year-old cottage owner Aapo Luomajoki from in 2.59.50. Kajaani seminaries outside in 1923. Photograph from Juhani Kovalainen's collections.

Participants in an Oulujärvi skiing event on Oulujärvi lake from Vaala to Kajaani in the 1980's. Photo from the collections of the municipality of Vaala. Sources Jouni Kauhanen, Aleksi Väisänen ent. Jeffrimoff 1898–1972. 2010. Jouni Kauhanen, Oulujärven talvikalastuksen juurilla. Kotiseutu 2014. Jouni Kauhanen & Mika Lavento, Historian lastuja Oulujärven rantamilta. Tornio 2013. Kuohuissa kulkeneet. Kertomuksia Oulujoelta. Utajärven kunta. Tallinna 2013. Simo Mäkelä toim., Vaala – Oulujärven pitäjä. Painotalo Suomenmaa. Oulu 2000.

Newspapers: • Kaiku • Kainuun Sanomat • Kaleva • Oulu Wiikko-Sanomat • Other sources: https://www.sarka.fi/kuukaudenesesine/032005-jaasaha/ Posted on 13.12.2018. The author's own experiences from a farm in the 1960's. Photos: Jouni Kauhanen’s collections Juhani Kovalainen's collections National Board of Antiquities Lusto Säräisniemi Local History Museum / Iita Tanskanen Municipality of Vaala Aleksi Väisänen’s collections