Night 1: Turn out the Lights: As we flew along the 50 miles of dark dirt road toward Hans Flat and the beginning of the amazing THE Maze adventure, a golden goose egg moon rose over the Robbers Roost country.

Shawn Bodine, Brent Laughlin Phil & Helen Meck and I headed south after work. It's windy, and we 5 are buffeted around in Shawn's jeep. We made great time, and set up camp before entering the NRA and way before midnight. Yes, it's windy, but will someone please turn out the lights?! The glare of the full moon woke me several times tonight.

Shawn in a Conehead Transporter Unit (Click the image for a full-size view (13k); Photo by Rob)

Day 1: Wondrous Wednesday: (Golden Stairs to THE Maze Arm, about 10 miles, 7 hrs. Or so.) The reds and chocolate browns of inner earth country spread out below and beyond us as we walked whale rock, nearing the top of the Golden Stairs. There are the pinnacle of The Needles, and, craning around the ledges, we can see The Land of Standing Rocks.

We checked in at the ranger station, then drove down the Flint Trail to near the top of the Golden Stairs hiking route. Here we began the hike through long-ago seashores. A Grumpy Sidewinder Rattlesnake interrupted our stroll down the stairs. Not to worry, Helen gave him a kiss and we were on our way. It's quiet today, we saw two vehicles and several hikers. Grinding along the jeep road, we passed pieces of The Wall on our way to The Land of Standing Rocks, and on to Lizard Rock. Here, Phil and I scrambled up. From this vantage point, we enjoyed a great view of a large arch to the South, probably Tibbett Arch. Back on the route, we circled around the North side of Mr. Lizard to where we entered The Plug route into THE Maze. Down and down we spiraled, past grand features wind-sculpted from Organ Rock Shale and Cedar Mesa Sandstone. Shawn paused for a well-deserved rest in one of the Conehead Transporter Formations we passed. Finally, we rendezvoused with Brent, who had explored ahead, near The Haven Spring.

Rob on THE Maze Overlook (Click the image for a full-size view)

Day 2: Overlooking The Canyons: Clinging to the moqui steps, we scrambled through the Neapolitan layers of Cedar Mesa Sandstone, routing toward THE Maze Overlook. On top, we relished in the sweeping panoramas, stretching from the snow-covered LaSals in the NE, past the hulking form of nearby Pete's Mesa, to the white-crested Abajos, and then the inner region of the Chocolate Drops and the Land Of Standing Rocks, to conclude the sweep to the Orange Cliffs - somewhere behind the lurking Henry Mountains.

It was cool enough to cause condensation on the tents and bags. We awoke to the mystical sounds of Hayduke chanting his morning mantra of "chemicals, chemicals, I need chemicals." (Hayduke is an epic figure in Ed Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang.)

Helen and the Harvest Scene Picto (Click the image for a full-size view (14k); Photo by Rob)

Brent and a hidden picto, somewhere in THE Maze (Click the image for a full-size view (12k); Photo by Rob)

We camped where our backdrop to the North was the radiator fins of the Chocolate Drops. We waited until the sun dipped below the canyon walls to obtain Harvest Scene photos. Later, the Choco Drops popped out against the sky.

Chocolate Drops after Sunset (Click the image for a full-size view (6k); Photo by Rob)

The Group at Chimney Rock (Click the image for a full-size view (16k); Photo by Rob)

Day 3: Water-Ooooh: A Shot into Water: or, Water or Water Not: The skin on my knee peels off as we three cling to the sandpaper bowl. Helen and I climb up the silvery and gnarly climbing tree, and, using Brent as a ladder, up through the high-angle bowl to the next ledge, slowly closing on the upper rims of Water Canyon. With only a vague idea of where this route would go, we eyed the pair of reeling Redtail Hawks and wondered if we would be forced to return via Shot Canyon rather than escape the lovely Water Canyon to Chimney Rock. Along the way, Helen earned the title, "Gription Queen." "It's all about friction," said The Gription.

It was a glorious scramble up the seldomly-used route to the top of Water Canyon. Now, after a well-deserved foot rest at the top shelf of the canyon, we paused for a group photo and relished in the panoramic views of inner earth, ranging from the LaSals, full-circle clockwise to the Abajo-Blues, Lavender 2, and the Six Shooters, and Cathedral Butte of The Needles, across the Land of Standing Rocks and back around. Feeling like an owl with less-than-enough swivel in his neck, it was glorious.

The day started with a sand-walk back upstream in the amazing Maze, and up the Chimney Rock arm to the top. From here, we routed down Slot Canyon, on precarious steps, then, in the bottom, we walked among lithic sites, littered with chert/shot/jasper-corn shards, some replete with the delicate bulb-of-force marks of point construction caused by deft flicks of an antler operated by an ancient artisan's hand. Wow. As the canyon fell away, reaching the electric blue shale layer (Elephant Canyon Shale?), we searched for, and found, the break over the wall and down the bowls into Water Canyon. Delicious pools awaited. After a well-earned nap and lunch, we continued up the seldomly used Water Canyon to where today's entry began. Fifteen miles later we strolled into camp. It had been a Water-Ooooh day.

The Group at the top of Water Canyon, Left to Right: Phil, Helen, Shawn, Rob, Brent (Click the image for a full-size view (21k); Photo by Rob's pack)

Day 4: Ridge Rumpus: As I stood up during lunch, the lovely chocolate brown mini-boulder rolled away from under my feet, flinging me into a partial somersault. As I progressed downhill, I crashed through a small juniper and splatted rump-first against another, flat-faced, chocolate rock. All sensation briefly left the area. Looking up, I see the radiator fins of the Chocolate Drops, Organ Rock Shale topped with White Rim Sandstone icing, towering into the cyan sky.

It would take 4 weeks before I could sit normally.

We started the day locating, then inching up, the Choco Drops route. Several gription scrambles were required. But, then again, we had the Gription Queen along and life was good.

After lunch, we rolled along the ridge between THE Maze and the South Arm Maze to The Wall, passing stately Kissing Rock. Following a too-long slog along the road, we dropped into the Sheepeater Spring area and found a place to camp. Billions and billions of stars erupted into view, preceding the latter night saintly moon.

Sitting on the slickrock admiring the billions of billions was a delight. All the same, the rock felt harder than the back of God's head after this day of ridge rumpus.

Day 5: Mr. Twister: Phil tried, with some success, to get us on the trail early. The youngsters plowed quickly out of site, but I needed the mile of easily-paced flat walking before tackling the twisting upgrade of the Golden Stairs. Rendezvousing at the trail head, we quickly cleaned-up and then drove the twisting route up the Flint Trail. We drove, with great expectation, to eat twister fries at the home style eatery in Green River. With the long-eye Texan vision of Shawn keeping us safe from MAVs (Mormon Assault Vehicles, vehicles large enough to carry a scout troop), we roared back to Smog Lake, arriving in time for high tea. With warm 'good-byes for now' we started dreaming of Water-Ooooh as we drifted to our separate homes.

And, the sun sets on this trip report (Click the image for a full-size view (6k); Photo by Rob)

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