Horse rider leaves southern end of Molalla River Rim Trail a muddy mess

Mossy trees in the Molalla River corridor

I am a firm believer that horses, where appropriate, should be allowed to carry people along Oregon’s trails. Not all trails, but many. Exceptions would include fragile areas where horse traffic damages trails and certain times of year, when wet conditions and the weight of a horse can tear up a trail. Unfortunately, I recently witnessed the damage a horse can do to a trail, obviously caused by a negligent rider who either couldn’t read or didn’t care. I’m willing to bet it was the latter.

More walks inside the Molalla River corridor

Saturated, mossy trailway in the Molalla River corridor

After having familiarized myself more with the short and abundant trails along the Molalla River corridor, I have come to the conclusion that these trails (and logging roads) resemble what I would describe as “nature trails.” That is not a bad thing, but the experience offered by this trail system is limited – far more restricted than the nearby trails in the Table Rock Wilderness.

Molalla River corridor trails' low elevations suitable for winter walking in the woods

Typical Oregon second-growth forest

Low snow elevations and decent weather prompted a hike along the trails of the Molalla River corridor. This labyrinth of paths along the slopes above the upper reaches of the Molalla River rise from 800 feet up to 1,400 feet in elevation.

No turning back after initial venture into the Table Rock area (excuse the poor pics)

Table Rock from near Rooster Rock

Years ago, Bones and Shifty, two friends since childhood, and I spent the early morning hours during an April day inside my tiny, rickety pickup, bouncing along washboard stretches of an old logging road, high in the Old Cascades of Oregon.