The Maze

[Jammer]

There is a really big pothole in the bottom end of The Fins canyon (near where the trail intersects.) I used to swap notes with Daniel, so it's possible he is counting this. ??? That source is probably not reliable though during really dry seasons. Also... it's not that far from Clell's Spring (or Lou's) so it probably isn't that helpful.

 

[Dirkules]

Hi everyone.
We are considering a 4-day trip into The Maze via Spanish Bottom using a jetboat shuttle in June. Our biggest concerns are finding water and managing the heat. So this thread is already a great help concerning possible springs.
Do you have been to The Maze in summer yet? Will there be reliable springs during that time of the year?

Our research thus far resulted in differing results. Asking the jetboat operator about circumstances in The Maze in June he replied:
"I suspect that finding water away from the river might be all but impossible. I have worked (here) for 25 years and as I look back at our history of providing backpacker shuttle service I can find only 11 people who have hired us to provide shuttle service to The Maze in June or July. The trip you propose is almost never done at the time of year you propose to do it. I personally would not even consider the possibility. "

We also contacted the NPS and got that reply: "There are reliable water sources in the canyons of the Maze and in Water Canyon. but it is a long trek from Spanish Bottom to any of the water sources. Check with the ranger station a week or less before you head into the outback and we can update you on the current water source conditions. "

What is your opinion? Is it doable in June or is it to much of a risk?
We know June is probably not the best time of the year to go there, but as we are from Germany our time window is limited to those three weeks of the year visiting the southwest (and we got used to hike the desert in hot summer temperatures over the last years).
Looking forward to your feedback!

 

[slc_dan]

You'll really have to love the heat to do it in June. I'm one of those crazy people, but someone like @Nick wouldn't even consider it.

a couple tricks for managing the heat.
-Take Naps in the shade during the hottest times of the day. 12-2 can be pretty brutal. Hike Early in the morning, and into dusk.
-Take a handkerchief and soak it in water, to wrap around your neck.

The hike from Spanish Bottom to Water Canyon is very manageable.

It really comes down to your tolerance for heat.

 

[Nick]

You'll really have to love the heat to do it in June. I'm one of those crazy people, but someone like @Nick wouldn't even consider it.

To be fair, the last time I went was the last weekend in May, so almost June! Temps were hot - well into the 90's, and we spent plenty of time cooling off in the shade. It was nice. But yeah, I would definitely opt for canyons with more water in June. If it isn't a super dry year, I don't think the springs would all dry up and it sounds like the park service is basically confirming that in what they said.

 

[Midatlantic]

Would you guys mind sanity checking this itinerary?

Day 1 Flint Ridge Golden Stairs (cache water)-Range Canyon Lou's Spring
Day 2 Lou's Spring The Fins Spanish Bottom or dry camp Doll House
Day 3 Spanish Bottom or Doll House Confluence Overlook Water Canyon Spring
Day 4 Water Canyon Shot Canyon-Pete's Mesa Route Pictograph Confluence
Day 5 Pictograph Confluence Pictograph-Standing Rock-Chimney Rock-Harvest Scene (day hike) Maze Overlook Spring
Day 6 Maze Overlook Maze Overlook (top) South Fork Spring
Day 7 South Fork Horse Canyon Golden Stairs Flint Ridge

 

[Nick]

I would not want to run all the way down to Spanish Bottom just to get some silty Colorado River water. Better to plan to just head straight to Water Canyon.

I'm not sure what you have going on Days 4-6. You're going to hike from there up to Standing Rock and Chimney Rock and then back to below the Maze Overlook?

 

[Midatlantic]

I would not want to run all the way down to Spanish Bottom just to get some silty Colorado River water. Better to plan to just head straight to Water Canyon.

Agreed - this was included to convince myself there would be water if really needed. I've seen reports of potholes at Confluence Overlook, and camping there looks awesome with views to the Needles, so that could be an option instead of pushing on all the way to Water Canyon from Lou's Spring in one day.

I'm not sure what you have going on Days 4-6. You're going to hike from there up to Standing Rock and Chimney Rock and then back to below the Maze Overlook?

I think that wasn't clear because I've incorrectly named a couple of things:

• What I called Pete's Mesa Route is aka Jasper Ridge
• Pictograph Confluence is actually south (upstream) of the Harvest Scene (38.205917,-109.992687), not north where I had it (38.228307,-109.987939).

(Please correct me if I'm still wrong.)

So, a modified itinerary is
Day 1: Flint Ridge-Golden Stairs (cache water)-Range Canyon-camp at Lou's Spring
Day 2: The Fins-camp at Doll House, Confluence Overlook, or maybe Water Canyon spring
Day 3: Explore Water Canyon (to Green River time permitting)-camp at Water Canyon Spring
Day 4: Water Canyon-Chimney Rock-Jasper Ridge-camp at spring between Harvest Scene & bottom of Maze Overlook
Day 5: Day hike a loop up to the Plug, over to Chimney Rock, down to Pictograph Confluence-camp near Maze Overlook spring
Day 6: Climb up to Maze Overlook & back down-S Fork Horse Canyon-camp at spring in SFHC
Day 7: Out to Flint Ridge via Golden Stairs

Thanks for the help. The devil's in the detail.

 

[frahminator]

"We found a really nice spring here: 38.200761,-109.996265. Could totally dry up but it was flowing well in May 2012."

This location is corroborated by a video taken by Joey Coconato in 2015. We're hoping to find it next week when we visit.

 

[maperson543]

bumping this post up as it's one of the first google results when searching "Water" and "the maze". This was water status in Sep 2023. Spent quite a while in Ernie's, up Sweet Alice, and then bumping around the Maze.

Ernie's Country

• Contrary to some posts I saw here, Clell's Spring is not dry. The pipe drops water very slowly. In September the pipe stopped dripping early afternoon almost everyday unless there was some rain the day before. It would be back to dropping by the very early AM. The cow troughs Ned Chaffin installed collect a good amount of water and unless they collapse, I suspect they will keep water year round. There is algae and some bugs (worms, tadpoles, fairy shrimp etc), but you can get some good clean water. I would personally only use this for emergencies or if you are running short and don't think you can get water elsewhere, like walking the extra time to Lou's (which from pictures looks easier to filter with less bugs).
• Like in Craig Childs Secret Knowledge of Water, there is usually water to be found upwards. I try to always have a few liters on me during the day. Whenever I needed water, there was some to be found in potholes up and around Sweet Alice and Sandtank that are in the shade and will hold water. During a dry year they may be hard to find and hopefully rain comes in to fill them up, but even with a week of no rain and 90-degree heat, I was able to find good potholes tucked away from the sun with at least 20+ liters. Similar to Clell's, I would not rely on potholes as a sole water source, but it seems that if you can get to Lou's + potholes you should be ok while in Ernie's country. Picking up from Clell's would be an emergency supplement if you find yourself short. If you're of the daring type, you can try to spend the time to filter Clell's and use it as a daily, but I would caution that due to the low amount of clean water you can get in a day and the time it would take.

Maze

• In my experience, Maze overlook spring always has water year round. This year--Sep 2023--was the lowest I've seen it, but I also hit it when it had still been in the 90s with very little rain. It had been a hot Aug and Sep. Even during the most severe droughts--2020 and 2021 come to mind--this is a good spot to pick up water.
• Pictograph Fork and spring: Many maps and trip reports note quite a few different spots to find water up and down Pictobraph Fork, as well as at the NE intersection with Pete's Mesa route. I found no water at these spots. Whether they are labelled "springs" on older maps or just larger potholes on trip reports; there was no water. Again, I went during a particularly dry and hot period, but I was surprised and glad I cached water elsewhere.
• I did not check out water on the Plug unmaintained trail, but there is supposedly water along that route.
• I also did not risk it with Water Canyon as I heard if the Maze Overlook spring is low, then I may not be able to pick up water in Water Canyon. Instead, I went straight for my cache.
• Beehive Arch area also has potholes and water can be found. It's also an area where I saw the most animals, which leads me to believe that there are likely some good water sources in/around. They may be on the NE ridge over looking Spanish Bottom or the NW canyons spearting the trail with the pocket.

This is long, but I hope helpful. This forum has been a tremendous resource for sharing good routes, waypoints, etc, and thank you to everyone that shares their knowledge.