Utah: The Maze District - A Family Affair
- Thread starter Willman
- Start date
Moody
Needs to get out more
While making the trek into the Maze, we passed one of our scheduled camps, Teapot Rock. To be honest, I was somewhat dissapointed in its appearance. It was a large slab of rock situated immediately on the side of the trail. I had been cautioned, or otherwise informed that it was a 'high traffic area' and it was 'in the middle of nowhere.' Now, I liked the second part, but the high traffic area tainted my feelings for the campsite.
Moody...Totally agree with your statement about that campsite...Totally disappointing in my opinion. IMO, I think it is better to backtrack and stay at Sunset Pass.
Did you have a chance to see the old cowboy site at Waterhole Flat? There is an awesome hike to the the southeast from there that overlooks Cataract Canyon. For future reference...There are some ruins in the area too...
Did you have a chance to see the old cowboy site at Waterhole Flat? There is an awesome hike to the the southeast from there that overlooks Cataract Canyon. For future reference...There are some ruins in the area too...
Moody
Needs to get out more
Arriving back at the Teapot Rock Camp, we immediately found our individual campsites and began the setup process. It cooled off every night once the sun went down, and we knew from early weather reports that we might experience some weather during the night, and almost certainly the next day. Nic was able to confirm with his weather band radio (this guy has everything!)
With that information, I decided to put the fly on the tent for the first night we had been out. Once we were situated, and we were able to get a sense of the area, my dissapointment was gone...I hadn't seen another vehicle come by (nor did we the entire time we were camped there) and if one looks carefully, you can see the reasoning for the camp being established there.
After an extremely good dutch oven dinner of fresh veggies, eggs, bacon, and everything else good, we all decided to get some rest earlier that night, anticipating an early start.
We awoke in the early morning after a combined total of 5 minutes of rain. Once we had gotten rolling, we were greeted with rainbows, varied clouds, and some fantastic photo opportunities.
With that information, I decided to put the fly on the tent for the first night we had been out. Once we were situated, and we were able to get a sense of the area, my dissapointment was gone...I hadn't seen another vehicle come by (nor did we the entire time we were camped there) and if one looks carefully, you can see the reasoning for the camp being established there.
After an extremely good dutch oven dinner of fresh veggies, eggs, bacon, and everything else good, we all decided to get some rest earlier that night, anticipating an early start.
We awoke in the early morning after a combined total of 5 minutes of rain. Once we had gotten rolling, we were greeted with rainbows, varied clouds, and some fantastic photo opportunities.
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Oh...There is an old corral and spring...It is the left hand turn at Waterhole Flat Junction...Leads to some cool canyons.
Spring Break...I think we are the second week in April.
Isn't it amazing how short of distances you travel down there but how long it takes!!!! I think it took us six hours to go from Chimney Rock to Hwy. 95 once...Crazy...
Spring Break...I think we are the second week in April.
Isn't it amazing how short of distances you travel down there but how long it takes!!!! I think it took us six hours to go from Chimney Rock to Hwy. 95 once...Crazy...
xpdishn
Adventurer
THANKS all for the report and incredible photos. The children are really cute.
We have 4 days off at the end of this month and are headed there. Only 2 days for exploring but at least we get a taste of it. We are going no matter the weather, if it's bad we'll find someplace else to explore.
We are also planning a much longer journey into the area for next spring.
Thanks again for the inspiration.
Gary & Paula
We have 4 days off at the end of this month and are headed there. Only 2 days for exploring but at least we get a taste of it. We are going no matter the weather, if it's bad we'll find someplace else to explore.
We are also planning a much longer journey into the area for next spring.
Thanks again for the inspiration.
Gary & Paula
kcowyo
ExPo Original
"To understand the West, you have to get over the color green; you have to quit associating beauty with gardens and lawns; you have to get used to an inhuman scale; you have to understand geological time."
- Wallace Stegner
Have friends, will travel...
For us, this trip began with a simple text message from my pal Nic. "Maze trip with Roger next month. You in?" I couldn't reply quickly enough. Utah, with Nic and Roger in October, sounded damn fine to me. We were in.
Roger, a history buff who actually gets paid to be a history buff, had his sights set on going into Horseshoe Canyon, to see the Barrier Canyon style pictographs. This location boasts some of the most elaborate pictograph panels on the Colorado Plateau. Two things were clear; they were worth seeing and we were going to have to hike to get to them.
Beginning the hike down into Horseshoe Canyon -
Overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the canyon -
The pictographs certainly get your mind turning... "What do they mean? How long have they been here? Why are they here?"... But the steep hike in sand got our feet hurting too. We were getting pooped, as were Nic's daughter and Roger's son. We offered to take them back up to camp, so their Dads could enjoy a little solo adventure time, as they delved even further into the canyon...
There is an old cowboy saying that if you think you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around. This sums up nicely the experience of motivating two tired children, who aren't yours, up a steep hike in the afternoon sun. With my own kids I can use "the tone," (as it is known in our house) to motivate my kids to do what I need them to do. The 'tone' didn't work on Kenzie, nor Zander.
So I tried the parents ol' stand-by - little white lies..."C'mon guys! Mommy is waiting with water & fruit snacks just around the next bend. Oops, I was wrong. Around the next bend!" They were on to me by the third bend in the trail... Finally we had just had to cheat to outsmart them, or we might still be on that trail. Mia offered Kenzie a piggy-back ride, who gladly accepted. Mia carried her up & out of that canyon like some type of Red Cross relief worker en route to the triage tent.
I knew Alexander had more energy than I did, I just had to find a way to tap into it... "So Zan, who is your favorite Transformer?" Holy second wind! Little Zander perked right up and proceeded to accurately detail every character from the Transformers for me. While we continued hiking up, ever up, and I neared passing out from oxygen deprivation, that little guy never missed a step, a breathe or a syllable. By the time he started in on his favorite Decepticons, I was ready to ask him for a piggy-back ride up to the top...
Sometimes it just feels good to throw rocks. Alexander, 5 -
Back in camp, the owner of a nearby Sportsmobile had introduced himself to our group as ExPo member, saline. He and his wife offered us a peak at their SMB, and I think we all enjoyed seeing such a nice one up close. You could tell Josh & his wife have given tours of their SMB before, as they had their routine down pat. They answered our all of questions and revealed their plans for it's debut trip to Death Valley next month. Our group all agreed that any of us would be lucky & grateful to have a SMB as nice as Josh's in our own driveway....
I could Adventure Parent in this....
It was time to start migrating over to the ranger station and the entrance to the Maze. I'm curious if we'll be able to make the miles to our Maze campsite with diaper stops, photo ops and other distractions along the way. But really, the miles and clock don't matter. We'll get there when we get there. We're having such a good time, with great weather and in such good company, it doesn't matter where we're going or when we get there....
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Moody
Needs to get out more
Thanks again for hauling both our kids up the canyon!
Ditto x1,000. I owe you two forever. And ever.
texas taco
Adventurer
Awesome trip report. I hope to take my family out there. :drool::drool:
kcowyo
ExPo Original
"I'm not here for a long time, I'm here for a good time."
- Hillbilly Jim
The Hans Flat Ranger station was a confluence of adventure when we rolled up in a trio of Toyotas. We pulled in beside a few built Jeeps and two Enduro motorcycles, while an old Land Rover Series IIA rolled out by us. We were 50 miles from the nearest road to nowhere and clearly in the right spot.
I was concerned about our chances of making it to our permitted campsite at the Dollhouse before dark when the ranger mentions a few of the sites on the way will be empty that night. If we need to lay up short at another site, that was ok with them. That immediately relieved any worries I had about crawling through Teapot to the Dollhouse in the dark. With any & all pressure off, we were free to go at our own pace into some seriously remote and challenging country.
Room for everything but error -
We drive, we stop, we snack, we share, we change diapers, we chat, we take photos, we laugh, we marvel. Then we do it all over again....
In good company in the Maze -
It's just so much... this labyrinth of canyonlands under never-ending skies, accessible only by the most preposterous trails. It borders on being more than the mind can take in and process. We descend the Flint Trail and make our way towards the Dollhouse, in that picture perfect late afternoon sunlight. Bouncing our way from sandy two-tracks into the more technical Teapot Rock area, the sight of only our hoods and blue skies become a common thing. Steep steps and shelves and tight squeezes become the norm as the occasional tire barks on the slickrock and receiver hitches lightly drag on rocks like fingernails down a chalkboard...
Don'tcha just love this stuff?
It's not going to be an easy 20 miles in....
Right about the time I've dropped over, climbed up and squeezed through the first section and I'm feeling good about the way things are going, I notice something not right. Flat tire... Damn. I don't hear or see a big leak, so I air it up and continue down the trail. If there's a hole somewhere, I'll patch it that night in camp, yet I suspect a faulty valve stem causing a leak. But I'm keeping a close eye on it. Not 15 minutes later, I start pulling to the other side a lot. Flat tire #2... Double damn. Airing it up worked on the first one, so we do that again.
By the time we catch up to the group the sun is fading and so are the kids. They had been total troopers through a long day. Fortunately the group is waiting by the Wall campground, which was empty for the night. Short of our goal but happy to be somewhere, we make camp for the evening under a full moon. I pop the top on a cold beer and Roger joins me, while Nic sets up a shower for his girls. Mia is whipping up a chicken & pasta dish for dinner and I can't think of a single thing to make the day or this perfect evening any better...
An unexpected bonus, a gift from the trail Gods - The Wall campsite...
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