The south face of Mount Mara clears of ice and snow early because it has a south-facing aspect.   On a mid-February day, we chose to explore gullies and hills around the base and west flank of the mountain.   We visited a cave, Face Rock, hoodoos, bighorn sheep trails, fossil-laden slopes, ridges, and ice-filled gullies.  We encountered a herd of sheep on the foothills, an owl in a tall, old juniper tree, pack rat nests in the cave, and birds nesting in the cliff faces.   We found some small opals and agates, some chalcedony, and a sequoia fossil on a shale slope.   We climbed to the vantage point to see the outline of Face Rock, had lunch, then looped back, making our own trail.  Some scrambling was required, we got quite muddy, but we were pleased to be back hiking off the snow for an early-season outing.

Sculpted south-face ridges

A curled page snap of the hills

Entering the cave

clamshell fringes

Colorful ridges

Face Rock

February sun through clouds

West to Battle Bluff

An elder’s resting place