Thread: mollala gravel pit

This is just about the complete wrong time of the year to go hunt for a place the might exist but I got my buddy super interested in trying to find this place. So we might head up tomorrow for a little cruise and shoot.

I have never had anyone on foot or vehicle other than a forest range stop to talk to me and people I took up there. The ranger was very helpful and told us where to legally shoot. At the rock Pit NOT before or after! He said cops come that far when called and if your stopped before or after the rock pit its a good possiblilty you will get a hefty ticket and possibly guns taken. He said you dont want to get caught by police(duh) or weyerhauser security which patrols to protect logging equipment and lands, They will hold you for the police if on weyerhauser property without permition. And if you are caught on the wrong side of a gate you have to call weyerhauser security to get out, and they bring the police to ensure your ticket and your tresspassed off the property. They see it as a big hassle coming up to closed property to let a tresspasser out and all. When they log the gates stay open til they are done with a section, look at the maps lots of clear cuts out deep. Never ever had people come out of the bushes in camo while I was shooting to tell me to stop, In my eyes thats a very easy way to get shot! I would ask for more than one form of ID, and maybe even ask for a GPS location for where "the base" begins so it doesnt happen again.

Still closed as of 12/9

As for the tinfoil hats, black helicopters, secret army bases and unicorns, unless weyerhauser cleaned up that rock slide 1 1/2 miles past the pit that was up there last year, getting to the end of any road up there is a non-issue, because you ain't gettin' past it.

I don't know what rock pit you are talking about because me and my brother-in-law slipped passed the pine creek bridge gate on quads around the July'ish time this year and we went way (miles) passed the pit and never saw any sign of a rock slide.

Originally Posted by Pauly

Really, how does one tell?
Google earth could be manipulated if something in the woods wanted to be kept secret, & in fact, if you try to zoom in when you get way out there (on google earth) the screen goes black. It will not let you zoom in way out there. You can only see the aerial views way out where you can barely see the roads.
Try it. I think I was able to get a few miles up the road after the bridge before the screen went black & I had to zoom way out to see anything at all & all you can see is a sea of green from that distance.

I've experienced that before too using google maps satellite view. didn't think anything of it at the time.

Sounds like they've cleared it then, conveniently in conjunction with the reforestation project they got going on

Originally Posted by mh34444

Sounds like they've cleared it then, conveniently in conjunction with the reforestation project they got going on

That is the BLM forest management project. they got done with the goat mtn area and they have moved on to the molalla corridor and the fish creek area/memaloose. Basically just a masive thinning project on all the local BLM timber. I just went up that way today and the BLM project across the pine creek bridge was not active back in July, but is now. the road is obviously being rebuilt and now heavily trafficked. And there is another BLM project up passed Table Rock trail head turn-off.

Haha thats funny i didnt think anyone but Colton folk knew about the secret base on goat mt. Ive lived in Colton all my life and spent many nights up in the hills on both sides of the mountain and i never saw anything. In fact theres only one person who has ever seen any black helicopters and he is a well known B.S.'er. So thats probably where the stories came from.

But who knows? Anything is possible i suppose.

Btw someone wrote an article on Abovetopsecret.com about the base, it is pretty far fetched but it was a funny read.

Cheers, Zach

Talked with my friend who works in forestry. And spends his hours just driving around out there. He said that the military regularly trains troops by droping there them deep in the mountains for training exercises and when he was in the military did it all the time. And yes they used helicopters at night because the military is the only people flying in the dark. But also said they can't tell people to stop shooting or detain anyone in the national forest. I saw a helicopter at night up there but that's it. Been sloppy drunk plenty times up there too....

My dad also suggested this…^^^. I figure no base just training on a regular basis.

Any word on the pit? A friend just picked up a couple flintlocks and he's wanting to go try them out.

i was hoping to go up this weekend its been months since ive been up to the pit and really miss being able to shoot up there ,any body know if its opened up yet,thanks ed

Still closed as of 2/3. Big yellow logging operation sign posted.

Has anyone been up there lately?? My dad needs to sight in a rifle and we were hoping the gate would be open by now. Thanks

Any now info on the pit ? opened ? closed ? taken over by aliens now ???

Still closed as of 5/12. They had a logging helicopter parked on the other side of the gate last week.

I would go there when it opens. Chance to meet some of the great people on this forum. The only thing I worry about shooting in groups out in the woods are the guys that bring their dates/wives - 'here honey, shoot this'. Life is a risk though. So if I have to get shot by some bimbo while having a great time, so be it. Ammo, check. Clotting bandages, check.

I just emailed BLM to see if I could get any info on when we could expect the pit to open back up again. I got a responce back fairly quick and was told I should just join the Molalla Gun Club is i want to shoot out in that area aparently they lease land from the BLM.... didn't really answer my question ... useless ...

Originally Posted by nes218

I just emailed BLM to see if I could get any info on when we could expect the pit to open back up again. I got a responce back fairly quick and was told I should just join the Molalla Gun Club is i want to shoot out in that area aparently they lease land from the BLM.... didn't really answer my question ... useless ...

Huh, I didn't even know there was a Molalla Rifle Club.

I hadn't heard of it myself but looking them up online its a "non profit" and the membership fees are about $125 a year ... or $50 and volunteer time to "work off" the rest ... not sure Im in on that one ... would rather have the pit open again ...