On a sunny early April day, we used the official trailhead off West Ord Road and hiked a loop route, up Mara Canyon and then up onto Cinnamon Ridge, then back down the ridge on a single track, winding down steep slopes to the start.   The two halves of the hike are very different.    Going up the canyon is in a deep, narrow canyon and involves some light scrambling.   The canyon opens up under the rockface of Mara Mountain.   A steep ascent in open terrain gains us the top of the ridge.

From the upper end of Cinnamon Ridge we can see beyond the canyon to the cinnamon-colored ridges and beyond to Kamloops Lake to the southwest.

The route down the ridge winds around rocky hills and uses switchbacks on steep loose slopes .    There are a number of slippery spots requiring some careful hiking.  The whole route is very rugged and scenic and it changes around each turn.

The loop route is not long, but it may feel longer with lots of steep sections and some challenges to manage along the way.   A recommended route (a favorite), but it is not a route for beginning hikers or small children.

There are many interesting features along the route – a slot canyon, twisted and eroded shapes, hoodoos, lava pockets, some shaped trees and old snags, and many other small surprises.

A few images taken by the author are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox (larger) view and a caption.

basalt columns

Mara hoodoos

Mara hoodoos

Mara hoodoos

Mara hoodoos

Cinnamon Ridge

bighorns on Mara

We will back to hike to the top of the mountain from the northeast in May.