A nearly snowless January in the Jura, 2011

Dwight Peck's personal website

Some snow-poor January hikes

A collection of Jura views as 2011 limps out of the starting-blocks

December's early snows got our hopes up, only to have them cruelly dashed in January. We should have expected it.

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Perroude du Vaud, 16 January 2011

The farm of Perroude du Vaud, not as nicely dusted with snow as we would have wished in the middle of January

La Dôle in the distance. They've got some snow over there, anyway.

Along the Chemin des Crêtes du Jura, with many boot tracks on it, not too many skis or snowshoes

It's still as beautiful as advertised, be it said.

The farm of Le Planet, or Planey, ready to start the planting soon

La Dôle from Le Planet

For all our whining about the lack of snow, we're still going to have a wrestle getting the old VW out of here.

Petit Pré de Rolle, 23 January

Starting off from the Pré de Rolle, just below the Col du Marchairuz, unburdened of snowshoes today again

The farm of Pré d'Aubonne across the road

The wild boars have been dining better this winter than in most.

The cowshed at the bottom of the Pré de Rolle

The old snow's like walking on the sidewalk

We're not the first to come through here.

The Gouffre. No bottom on that one. It comes out in China.

Discarding two rolls of undifferentiated forest photos, we're out the other side and approaching the farm of Petit Pré de Rolle.

Petit Pré de Rolle in January. Unbelievable.

Good views from here of the Dents du Midi

A portrait of the photographer (lower left)

Back to the trailhead near the Pré d'Aubonne. Trudging along the road.

Mondion, 30 January 2011

Kristin's back from obligations in the USA, the snow's not back at all, and we're at the top of the Bassine road near the farm of Mondion.

We've seen vast tribes of chamois here in the past, so today we're vigilant and disappointed.

Kristin's first visit to Rumsfeld's Rock. I first saw this about the time that the US hijinks at Abu Ghraib were being celebrated, and it seemed like a punishment that only a Rumsfeld or an Ashcroft could have dreamt up.

At least he missed us, this time.

Bassins's farm of La Bassine (some of the greatest specialty cheeses in the world)

The Ravine of the Serine, 31 January

We're up the muddy ravine successfuly, but possibly stuck at the top of it.

We're saved.

Now we're off to Florence for a few weeks, to Do Art, with continuous prayers for more snow here when we get back. No more faith left, though, it's all been chipped away by the Industrial Revolution.

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