We will have hiked through Mara Canyon three times in April, each with a different route. On this day, we hiked up the (east) ridge then down the canyon, a 5 km route. We started climbing right away. The ridge route is 2 km and gains 1600 ft. in elevation. From the top of the ridge there are … Continue reading…
In early April I went up Mara Canyon with a plan to explore the steep slopes of the canyon. The trail was dry on the south-facing slopes, and mostly dry dropping into the bottom of the canyon and up through the narrows. I hiked about half-way up the canyon trail before heading east, up a steep slope below a series … Continue reading…
Every year in spring we hike through Mara Canyon, starting at the new trailhead in the gravel pit and following the canyon trail to the wide open area below the summit, then we climb to the top of the ridge on the east side and descend the RidgeTrail (Cinnamon Ridge) back to the start. Over the years we have … Continue reading…
We hiked up through the Mara Canyon Trail and continued up the ridge to the junction with the Mara Ridge trail, but on this day we turned and went to the top of the mountain first. Although I have done the Mara Canyon Loop many times (for 45 years and at least once per year), I only do the route … Continue reading…
The Mara Canyon Trail is sometimes called the Cinnamon Ridge Trail or the Hoodoos Trail. the trail is in Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area (BC Parks) but the trailhead is problematic because of the railway line. Many hikers park on the main road then cross the tracks, but this is not a legal crossing and some people have been … Continue reading…
The Mara Canyon Trail is sometimes called the Cinnamon Ridge Trail or the Hoodoos Trail. There are two deep canyons on the south side of Mara Mountain and the trail goes through the western one. It is a narrow canyon with many eroded features reminiscent of canyon hiking in the US Southwest. Access is best done by using the level … Continue reading…
Description: The Batchelor Hills and Mount Mara stand north of Tranquille Road (and Ord Road in Brocklehurst). There are a few single track trails that climb steeply up into Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected area, off Ord Road, but the main trails are Mara Canyon (sometimes called Cinnamon Ridge Trail or the Hoodoos Trail) and the Mara Hills. Driving Directions: … Continue reading…
The hike up Mara Canyon is one of the best in the region, but we hiked up the loop trail to the summit, then we came down the canyon for this outing. We drove the side road from the CNR level crossing to the end of Ord Road, then followed the trail through the sagebrush toward the mouth of the … Continue reading…
The trail into Mara Canyon changes every year. The narrow canyon is an erosion channel and the snowmelt and summer thundershowers change the route each season. The trail starts in the sagebrush, then climbs over some rocky hills before the sharp turn which takes us down to the streambed at the bottom of the canyon. Hikers should take the time … Continue reading…
Mara Canyon (Hoodoos Trail) is the most popular “unofficial” hiking trail in our area. Although it goes into Lac du Bois Provincial Protected Area, it crosses the CN tracks off Tranquille Road so it is an unmaintained user trail. The trail goes up the south hills of Mount Mara, then drops into the canyon. The route drops into the dry … Continue reading…
The Mara Canyon Trail (sometimes referred to as the Hoodoos Trail or the Cinnamon Ridge Trail) is one of the favorites of our area. Even though we have hiked this route many times in the past, we went up the route this fall to look at the possibility of improving the trail, to see how much erosion had occurred and … Continue reading…
Most hikers call this the Hoodoos Trail. It is one of the premier hikes of our area, but it has a number of sections that require a bit of a scramble. It is also requires crossing an active train track, so delays may be faced and safety is always a concern. The trailhead is on Tranquille Road past Kamloops Golf … Continue reading…
The Mara Trail winds through the hills between Mara Mountain and the Tranquille River Valley. We can extend the trail to include the Mara Outer Loop by hiking over a hill above the Tranquille River on the west side, then loop back over to the shorter Mara Trail (loop). It is a good choice in early spring because the south-facing … Continue reading…
There are 2 trails to the top of Mara Mountain and several routes that can be taken. Trailheads/Driving Directions: The trailhead for the Mara Canyon Trail (The Hoodoos Trail, Cinnamon Ridge Trail) can be continued all the way to the top. The longest route comes from the southwest Pruden Pass Road then a double track to the top. Other routes … Continue reading…
When the first warming of late winter comes, the south-facing lower-elevation ridges melt first. Ridges dry off mostly quickly because gravity draws the meltwater away in 3 directions and the tops of ridges are also the most exposed to both wind and sun. Any slope that is at 90 degrees to the low winter sun also receives the most direct … Continue reading…
In late winter as the temperatures started to warm up, the snow melted slowly in the hills. I ventured up into the hills overlooking Tranquille River, following double tracks, single tracks, and some cross country sections through the sagebrush and the snow. From the Mara Trail start, I followed the old wagon track that connects Tranquille to Pruden Pass … Continue reading…
