08/29/2026
Horse Back Riders:
Sorry folks are running into trails that are not open.
We just don't have enough people out doing trail work and what work is getting done has been added to by our recent severe fires. I am including a picture of Harrelson Horse camp after they have cleared out all of the dead burnt trees. Needless to say we will not be camping there any time soon. Our trails in these further out areas are not routinely getting logged out due to lack of recreational monies in the Forest Service budgets and there are only so many volunteers available to log out our trails systems. So please do keep letting the FS leadership know about these trail issues and logs that need to be removed. Doesn't hurt to keep me in the loop. Meantime please continue supporting Youth Crews like Northwest Youth corp and American Trails groups. Join committees advocating for trail maintenance. Encourage able body younger friends, family, co-workers to join volunteer groups going out doing trail work and logging out these trails. Deschutes and Willamette Forest(Cascade Volunteers) https://cascadevols.org/ have volunteer organizations that have experienced Crewleaders and sawyers.
I would like to end this note with a Celebration of the Trails around Kelsey Valley. Where thanks to one person(Kyle Miller) leading the charge, partners of Oregon State Parks, RTP grants, OET(Kim McCarrel), Emerald chapter of Back Country Horsemen, Northwest Youth Corp. many others I don't know to Mention. We are getting over 50 miles of trails open with multiple Loops and very pretty lakes to ride to. With Signs at the Trailhead stating Camp in for Horses
Becky Hope
