Down Mara Canyon

On a late March day I hiked up Cinnamon Ridge, then down Mara Canyon. For 46 years I have been hiking this loop route, up the canyon or up the ridge and down the other way. In some years I have gone to the top of the mountain. In other years I have scrambled up or down steep slopes, exploring the hoodoos, the gullies, and the rocky ridges and hills. On this day the route was mostly dry and very quiet. In some years, I see spring melt erosion or newly fallen trees but this year, canyon seemed the same. Some of the steep sections going up or down were a little more eroded. I took alternate paths down to avoid slippery slopes. From the top end of Mara Canyon we descend into a narrow gully with a few fallen trees to go over, under, or around.

Many of the hoodoos stand on the sidehills to either side and we can scramble up for a better view

The canyon section is only about 2 km long, but it is interesting all the way, a route we always enjoy. A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.