Snowshoeing in the Jura

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.

The first really good snow of the year

a birthday present direct from God for me: 4 January 2003

Lisa's here to get the snowshoeing year off to a good beginning. We've driven as far up the Route des Montagnes above Bassins as we can get the old rustbucket, and now we're pushing off into the lovely new snow.

Today we'll get some new snowy photos for our Farms of the Jura series: we're passing the farm of Mondion. 4 January 2003

Grande Enne

Grande Enne lies at 1294m on an isolated little ridge just SE of the main Marchairuz-to-Givrine crosscountry ski track, between Le Vermeilley and Les Pralets.

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Near the front door, hiker L. Durham getting out of a chilly wind

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Along the SE side of the building, looking to the east, 4 January 2003.

L. Durham eating again and preparing to leave Grande Enne farm, January 2003.

Hikers near Grande Enne wondering 'which way to the car?', and whether the car, if they find it, will be of any use under the snowdrifts. 4 January 2003.

Two wintry hikers showing prudence for once, along the crosscountry ski track through the forest towards Les Pralets

Les Pralets

Les Pralets lies at 1271m in a broad meadow along the main Marchairuz-to-Givrine crosscountry ski track, between Le Vermeilley to the SW and La Bassine (1261m) to the NE, at the top of the paved road from the village of Bassins. Seen here from the SW in a vigorous snowstorm on 4 January 2003.

Les Pralets hosts a cozy restaurant montagnard for hikers in summer and, in winter, for skiers along the ski du fond trail -- though it's about 8 km up from the trailhead at the Col de la Givrine and about 10km from the trailhead near the Col du Marchairuz.

Les Pralets, in addition to its specialties of fromage dishes, is also a working farm in the summer.

Today, the proprietor seemed just to have had himself driven up the road in a 4x4 as the first serious snow of the winter began to close the place off.