On a sunny mid-December morning the Batchelor Hills called for an 8 km hike.    We have hiked some of these routes for decades, but now there are a number of additional single track trails too, with new names, and some new routes.    For this day I chose to follow mostly old double tracks toward Mara Mountain, up and around a hill I have been calling Orangecap.    The top of the hill has rocky orange crustose lichens visible from a distance.    The newer single track is called the Bighorn Loop.  

The winter sun and a few clouds created a moody light over the sagebrush grasslands hills. 

From the top of Orangecap are wide views across the Batchelor Hills and beyond.  

A few of the views along the way are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

heading east up through the hills

Mara Mountain

north toward Wheeler Mountain

Orangecap Hill

south with orange-yellow winter skies

climbing eastward

along the snowy doubletracks

looking eastward

'tween the hills

on the way back

There are a number of loop options for this area and I will back to hike some of them over the winter months.  

A short video of the hike follows: