13 April 2011

Pastures of Plenty




14 March 2011

To celebrate the day I took the morning off of my usual Monday chores and headed to my local haunt for a few turns of the skis, the first time back in the Jura since early December. I knew the snow conditions were dismal and I knew they wouldn't improve much for the year, but it's always worth it for the views and a few hours of solitude. Anyway, the fourteenth day of March only comes around once a year. Best to indulge myself when I can.



The sinkhole at La Dôle with the aviation radar and weather station above:


Up on top the conditions were better suited for grazing than skiing.


Three lines skied at the end of last May:




France or West Virginia?


There was exactly one short couloir to ski that accessed the east (Lake Geneva) side of La Dôle so I did and I found more pretty views on my way down. Not pretty snow, however.




Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes The Veil

I have desired to go
Where springs not fail,
To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail
And a few lilies blow.

And I have asked to be
Where no storms come,
Where the green swell is in the havens dumb,
And out of the swing of the sea.

--Gerard Manley Hopkins

The Innocence Mission: No Storms Come



The White Mountain looking respectably more white:


The Crêt de la Neige, the highest point in the Jura, but not much deeper in snow:


More swishing around, more nice views, up and down exercise, and then back home to resume the day. Like the winter, the day was sort of there before it wasn't again. Unlike the winter, it felt right.









2 comments:

Daniel said...

Linked to your blog from Telemarktips. Enjoyed seeing your photos of La Dole and views of the surrounding area, as they brought back great memories. While spending six months cycle touring throughout various regions of Europe in 2002, we took one of several week-long breaks from riding in Les Rousses. During our seven days out of the saddle, we hiked many trails and climbed several peaks in the nearby environs, including La Dole. Great views of Mont Blanc and Lac Leman from the summit. It looks like we here in the Wasatch received all of the Jura's snowfall and then some!

steven hatcher said...

Thanks for reading, Daniel. Glad it made some sort of a connection. The Jura is a nice, quiet little corner of the world. Makes for a good backyard.

Cheers,
Steven