Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2003-2004

wonderful wintry fun in the country the neo-cons have so far overlooked

A visit for the Christmas season {4}

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.

3 January 2004: Givrine-Genolière

A very nice tree, near the Col de la Givrine, 3 January 2004

The farm at La Givrine

Teny and Joe at the farm of La Givrine, 3 January 2004

Equipment check

Kristin descending on showshoes from the forest, 3 January 2004.

So far, so good.

Joe descending on showshoes from the forest, 3 January 2004.

Who's missing? Ahh, there's Teny.

Teny descending off showshoes from the forest, 3 January 2004.

Narrator checking the guidebook

La Genolière farm, 3 January 2004.

La Genolière

4 January 2004: The forest of Grande Rolat

Kristin descends on snowshoes into karst hole country in the forest of Grande Rolat in the Swiss Jura mountains, 4 January 2004, seeking holes in the forest floor.

The weeds and ferns sticking up out of the snow mean that strange limestone formations are here in abundance and perhaps karst holes in the forest floor as well. 18 inches deep? Hundreds of meters deep?

Kristin follows the ferns to their source and views awesome holes in the forest floor under the snow.

Once having found the Jura karst holes in the forest floor, prizes go to those who can hike along briskly without falling down into them.

Kristin traverses hole country in Grande Rolat, intent upon winning the prize for not falling into them.

Nice going. Today's prize for not breaking an ankle in a karst hole of the Jura -- oysters and lichees.

Congratulations are in order.

Thank you. Thank you.

Notwithstanding, still wandering for a few hours wildly lost in the forest of Grande Rolat, seeking a landmark in vain . . .

. . . is fun anyway.

Here's a landmark, 4 January 2004, the refuge of Joratte.

A quiet moment for Christian prayer. Or if not that, then, philosophical reflection. Or if not that, then a sandwich.

A dead end?

We'll see . . .

Some people write novels. Some people study the cosmos through big telescopes. Some people oppress multitudes, or just steal their wallets. Some people bomb Iraqi civilians and then lie about why they did it. Some people just eat snow.

That's it for the Christmas season. Come back next year.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 7 April 2004, revised 1 October 2008, 14 January 2014.

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