Elite mission from the Tearoom on the Plage

Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2002-2003

Very eventful, but in a quiet way

As round the world some of them were trying in vain to convince the rest of us that it would be a fun idea to go bomb a lot of the folks down in Iraq, D. Peck and friends spent the fall and winter hiding out in the safest place they could think of.

Elite mission from the Tearoom on the Plage, in search of good snow

Climate change! It's the 3rd of April 2003 and snow is already hard to come by in the Jura mountains.

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.

April 2003, at the Tearoom de la Plage ("Tearoom on the Beach") -- with snowshoes at the ready, the search is on for good snow.

"Okay, Boss, we're ready, lead on." Durham and Peck await their orders.

Demonstrating our enthusiasm for our mission

Expedition members pause for a commemorative photo

Snow! A little.

Lunchtime out near the Petit Pré de Rolle, and time for a nap

Dare we disturb her to continue our mission, or shall we just leave her here?

Dame Durham exclaims "I've fallen! I'm stuck!". And then, "Okay, I'm all right now!"

-- Then we shall continue!

The snow's been found. Drs Pirri and Durham debate whether or not to put the snowshoes on, but elect not to.

Should have put them on. Mme Durham, marching along between Petit Pré de Rolle and Les Echadex, reclines abruptly, to everyone's amusement.

-- Ha ha, watch this

Les Echadex farm

Still another argument about the War on Terror

Oooops

Another casualty

-- All right now.

Oooops!!

A quarter of an hour later, another casualty -- actually, the SAME casualty, but another time.

The mission continues, undaunted so far. Dr Durham considers raising her falls average by simply not walking any farther.

Passing the Tearoom de la Plage once again

"Mission Accomplished", as War Hero G. W. Bush would say: little snow found, snowshoes never used, redefined mission objectives -- "this small team was sent to verify that there was insufficient snow to stand upright in, and our brave men and women of the Elite Snowshoe Commando have returned safely to vote again in the next elections."

[Note: Prof Durham would like it to be noted here that the reason she fell down so often is that she had a "broken toe".]

Jura snowshoeing

Snow camping