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.
La Plateforme and the farm at La Perrause
Just north of the Col du Marchairuz, on the road to the Vallée du Joux, we've crossed the flat pastures called La Plateforme, and here's the Perrause farm. 14 December 2013
Not enough snow for snowshoes, too much for a comfortable stroll
Kristin enjoying a fine day out in The Nature
La Perrause (1353m). Grand Cunay is on the right horizon.
Beautiful woodworking on the table
It's time to go.
A long slog back -- we're borrowing a snowmobile track for a while.
Stone wall
What now?
Dieter VW has been waiting for us.
The Col du Marchairuz
It's either raining or snowing or both, 19 December 2013
At the hotel on the Col du Marchairuz (1446m)
We're off on the old trail to the southwest -- we'll just follow the yellow arrow.
This is actually the long-distance hiking trail, the Chemin des Crêtes, for the first half a kilometre or so.
And it's all well plodded down now by three weeks of hikers since the last good snowfall
Not snow so much now -- mostly just rain.
The Chemin des Crêtes has left us now, but the Former Chemin des Crêtes continues.
The giant forestry machines have been here -- so much for our scenic little path!
There goes the neighborhood!
Disgusting, and muddy. We'll go off on our own for a while.
A path leading back up towards Marchairuz
And the closer we get to the carpark, the more well-traveled the path.
The Hôtel du Marchairuz
Where Dieter's been waiting faithfully
The Arboretum of Aubonne
The carpark at the Arboretum of Aubonne (550m), 21 December 2013
The river Aubonne, just below the dam
The dam on the Aubonne river
The lake above the dam. We're going up onto that headland and take a little excursion along the top and back down again.
The Aubonne above the dam
A forestry road up onto the headland of Le Rosey
No horses please
No cars or motorcycles either (ca. 670m), in the forest of the Bois des Soules
The beautiful farm of Les Ursins (677m)
On the road to Saubraz, the yellow sign of the military
The road to Les Jaccaudes, where sometimes the Swiss military practices maneuvres, but hopefully not today.
The meadows of Les Ursins on the far side of the ravine of the Sandoleyre creek
A military checkpoint. Looks like a free pass.
The German Shepherds training site
Autumnal scenes (in late December) back down to the Arboretum
The Arboretum of Aubonne
A Museum of Wood, exhibits and activities, and trails through varieties of trees from all over the world
The Wood Museum
A wood carving, presumably by Paul Monney
Leaving the Arboretum of Aubonne
Dwight Peck's personal website
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 18 February 2014, repaired 23 January 2020. 
