Memaloose ..........Estacada, OR 97023

[Elidril]

Spoke to the Rangers office this morning. She confirmed that the unstable road will be closed for at least two years. Also confirmed that it's still ok to go shoot at the pit and pit is open, just have to go over hillock burns rd

 

[Elidril]

Anybody know if there's cell service up there?

 

[Pittsmaster]

Yes. It's spotty, but I do get a faint signal up there. I have Verizon.

 

[Elidril]

Thanks Pitts. We're on our way up there today or tomorrow. I'll let you guys know what the road conditions are like.

 

[JD42]

Any updates? Is it open? Thanks

 

[Pittsmaster]

I went that way 2 weekends ago. Was heading to the big pit but found a place before it called 5 Way. Forrest service confirmed for me that its open if you go up hillock burn road to NF4510 to NF45. Basically 1 hour+ on the logging roads to reach the big pit.

 

[Elidril]

Sorry. I promised updates and didn't follow thrOugh. When we went up there ranger told me he main road is closed but I could get through at hillockburns rd. We drove about an hour up hillocks burn rd and never found the spot. We were on a time crunch and so we turned around. I'm just not familiar enough with the area to find it. I haven't been back since to explore and find it but my assumption is pit is open if you can find your way up there.

 

[ripcity]

I made it to the big pit via hillocksburns Rd a few months back. Went all the way to 224 and found the locked gate. My timing is great though because a state worker drove by. Luckily he had a key or that would of been a long trip back. Imo it's not worth the drive to go the back way.

About half way over the hill there is a much better pit. There is also Helena pit which is much better also. If you want directions to these pm and I'll try to direct you to one of them

 

[Cogs]

Helion Pit is the one that's just up the Memaloose Rd from the closed bridge on Hwy 224. It used to be the most popular pit until they closed the green bridge. The bridge will remain closed as long as the hill side is still unstable (because of the fire last year). Most likely it will be closed all summer.

The NF 45 (4500) road is the way to get there, however like the above posts, it's a long drive full of pot holes. As ripcity said about, half way over is the nice big pit where you can get about a hundred yards or better. It's at the top of the hill, on NF 45. I think it's about 15 miles from where Hillock Burn Rd ends and the NF 45 begins.

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ztEWb
GPS Coordinates: 45.142108, -122.235089

It's called Oz Pit.






Enjoy!

Cogs

 

[Cogs]

If you copy & paste the GPS coordinates to Google Earth, you can enter street view and look around. Kinda cool.

 

[Elidril]

Thanks guys for all the info! I had never been out there so it was a bit challenging to navigate. Glad I have the inside info now.

-thanks-

 

[Spaz]

Was up there this weekend, Oz is perfect shooting

 

[CHLChris]

Just drove up to a place on the Google map called 5Way. It is right up the road off NF-45 on the way to Oz. It happens to be right when the "nice" asphalt drops in quality. My Garmin told me to go up the next road, about 100 yards farther in than the one I turned around to go up. Garmin's road was almost impassable. But the gravel road I took was great. I was able to set up with 25 yards and a backstop. If one were to traipse up the hill, you could get about 50 yards. I packed out more than I packed in, but that place was lousy with shotgun hulls.

Passed a pack of vultures feasting on something out of view on the side of the road, right where there is a clear cut on the east side. Those raptors are NOT to be messed with. Wing spans at least as wide as my own arm reach. They all took off as one and flew down the open road seeming to lead my car away from their kill.

BTW, no Sprint PCS up there. My service dropped about halfway down Hillockburn.