Written by Susan Martin
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for a ride through the single track of the Molalla River Forest trail system. Six riders and the ride leader began the ride day with the goal of exploring the entirety of the Molalla trail system, which encompasses the South and North sides. The Southside required a tough double track climb up to the ebb, flow, and “get your attention climbs” of true old-school single track to include the McBeth, Geezer, Leapfrog, and Marks trails. Afterward a thrilling ride down to Hardy Creek and over to the North side.
Although the Molalla trails are known for having numerous horse riders, none were encountered during the ride. The Northside trails are longer and more flowy, and home to the most amazing pyramid-shaped 3-4 foot high ants nest situated beside the trails. This was a wonder and delight for the group to see. The Northside trails are numerous and mix some incredible downhill thrill rides (without the intimidating jumps) with tough but doable climbs. The overall effect of this system is one of being in a remote and beautiful forest.
The group camaraderie was amazing. A group composed of individuals who have moved here from other countries or the East Coast and /or are recent members of NWTA. What was a unified opinion from all was the agreement on the astounding beauty of Oregon and the joy of learning about, and exploring new trails. Big thanks to NWTA Sponsor Hopworks for the post-ride beverages.
(Special thanks to Ride Leader Susan Martin for making this possible!)