Kerensky97
Xterra101
Ok, maybe that's being a little too hard on myself. But I do feel that the trip beat me; I planned and prepared for everything but had to call an end to the trip early.
Maybe some background first:
The Maze district of Canyonlands is the least visited of the the section of the park. Growing up nearby I had visited the other two countless times but The Maze district was still just something I had only seen in the distance across the river and canyons. The problem is The Maze is often cited as one of the most remote and inaccessible places in the lower 48 states. The distance from a major highway is far and distance from a gas station or services is even farther. Plus the 4WD roads into it crawl through difficult and rocky terrain, not requiring a rock buggy but plenty to put a high clearance offroad vehicle through it's paces. Oddly enough nobody has ever died in the area. Mainly because the few people who visit it know that the area is to be treated with the utmost respect. If you have a problem, help is a long way away., and that's assuming you can find help since the number of hikers, campers, and offroaders nearby be counted on one hand. The park service posts plenty of warnings that getting a tow out can cost $2500.
I reserved my 3 campsites (Panorama Point, Maze Overlook, Dollhouse) a month ahead of time but the email confirmation never came and 7 days out I was panicked I had lost my spots. I went online to salvage what I could and found the sites were still open to reservations. In fact when I reached Hans Flat Ranger Station to check in I noticed the reservation book was still completely empty for the days I had chosen, for 3 days I was going to be the only person staying the night in the entire Maze.
First day was mostly just getting to the park, and setting up camp; it was the first week in June but temps were already upto the upper 90s during the day. End of May and beginning of June is also the peak season for Cedar Gnats which I have never seen in numbers like this. Imagine clouds of fruit fly sized Gnats that have bites 5 times worse than mosquitoes. They also didn't seem to be fazed by the heat or bug repellent. Plus no wood fires allowed so no way to scare them off. I'd recommend trying one of those mosquito coils, maybe a steady stream of smoke next to you will help keep them away.
After making dinner I hiked from the campsite to the actual point of the mesa to enjoy the sunset.
Day two was a beautiful sunrise over the La Sals. I was excited to venture deeper into the Maze.
Cont.
Maybe some background first:
The Maze district of Canyonlands is the least visited of the the section of the park. Growing up nearby I had visited the other two countless times but The Maze district was still just something I had only seen in the distance across the river and canyons. The problem is The Maze is often cited as one of the most remote and inaccessible places in the lower 48 states. The distance from a major highway is far and distance from a gas station or services is even farther. Plus the 4WD roads into it crawl through difficult and rocky terrain, not requiring a rock buggy but plenty to put a high clearance offroad vehicle through it's paces. Oddly enough nobody has ever died in the area. Mainly because the few people who visit it know that the area is to be treated with the utmost respect. If you have a problem, help is a long way away., and that's assuming you can find help since the number of hikers, campers, and offroaders nearby be counted on one hand. The park service posts plenty of warnings that getting a tow out can cost $2500.
I reserved my 3 campsites (Panorama Point, Maze Overlook, Dollhouse) a month ahead of time but the email confirmation never came and 7 days out I was panicked I had lost my spots. I went online to salvage what I could and found the sites were still open to reservations. In fact when I reached Hans Flat Ranger Station to check in I noticed the reservation book was still completely empty for the days I had chosen, for 3 days I was going to be the only person staying the night in the entire Maze.
First day was mostly just getting to the park, and setting up camp; it was the first week in June but temps were already upto the upper 90s during the day. End of May and beginning of June is also the peak season for Cedar Gnats which I have never seen in numbers like this. Imagine clouds of fruit fly sized Gnats that have bites 5 times worse than mosquitoes. They also didn't seem to be fazed by the heat or bug repellent. Plus no wood fires allowed so no way to scare them off. I'd recommend trying one of those mosquito coils, maybe a steady stream of smoke next to you will help keep them away.
After making dinner I hiked from the campsite to the actual point of the mesa to enjoy the sunset.
Day two was a beautiful sunrise over the La Sals. I was excited to venture deeper into the Maze.
Cont.
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