La Dunanche hike, 2008

Dwight Peck's personal Web site

La Dunanche in the late afternoon, 2008

The winter that began with good snow and then lost its concentration

You may not find this tangibly 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.

The snow's been crap since New Year's, and we blame Mr Bush for that.

Today's the 11th annual World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2008, and our colleagues are down in Geneva educating the public about the values and benefits of wetlands, but it's also a Saturday, so here we are, marching off from the La Chaumette trailhead (971m), where the barrier's down across the road. Frankly, in February, we never should have been able to get the car this far up the Route de Montagne anyway, but if the road's open, it beats plodding up it.
This is the farm of Le Bugnonet, as we set off fairly late in the day.
As we walk up through the Bois au Ministre (I say "walk": the snowshoes are still sitting up on top of the Lowe pack, and never did get used today), we have our own special cloud following us along.
At the new lookout near La Dunanche, at the top of the "Toblerones" military defensive barriers, a new feature.
The view from the lookout across Lake Geneva (Lac Léman)
I saw this thing lying on its side in the forest a year or two ago. I'd love to have been here to watch them getting it upright.
Thence to a view of La Dunanche farm (1117m) to the southwest
La Dunanche, with La Dôle in the distance
A very pretty tree, with the farm on the far side of it. Still no snowshoes needed. In February!
La Dunanche, with La Barillette television towers on the horizon
A little touch of Appalachia, right here in Switzerland. No 1950s automobiles up on cinderblocks, though.
The beasts of the forest are evidently confused as well -- scurrying all over trying to find dried out grass for lunch.
Another look au Dunanche, as we pass by going westward
We're going to descend by the ravine that winds around past Le Jubillet back to the car.
A last glance back at the farm
A peek out at Lake Geneva from the forest near Le Jubillet, 2 February 2008.
February in the Swiss mountains! Do I sound bitter? Yes, I am. Mr Bush and his callow minions are still obstructing everyone's efforts to rein in (or 'reign in', as the New York Times would put it) the impacts of Global Warming. Never mind; it's too late anyway, but it's the principle!