I just got back from my trip and it was amazing! Thanks again all for the help planning the trip! Unfortunately I only have a couple of pictures (I left behind my spare phone battery and I wanted to preserve my phone battery for GPS usage) so I won't do a formal trip report, but here are some notes:
- We saw more people than I expected. We saw a lot of people between Spanish Bottom and the Doll House both on our way in and our way out, and we saw a handful of other groups each of our first two days out there. Not bad for a spectacular area in a national park, but I'm wondering if the legendary remoteness and solitude of the Maze is now contributing to less solitude there. Everyone was friendly and interesting and we got useful water conditions from some of the other backpackers, so I didn't mind that though. Interestingly, every group we saw accessed the Maze a different way---one group drove in and car camped, one took the jet boat in like us, one packrafted in from the needles, one hiked in via the North Canyon trail, one was doing a crazy long packrafting/hiking route, one canoed down the river and then hiked up Water Canyon, etc.
- There was water in Water Canyon, but not a lot. There was actually at least as much water in Shot Canyon. We didn't make it to the spring below the Maze overlook; we camped above the Harvest Scene where there was a small spring (more like a set of puddles at this point). There was a small amount of water (just puddles at this point) in the SE fork of pictograph canyon. Those last two water sources were the sketchiest that I have ever drank; I'm used to clear high alpine springs. I'm guessing they were pretty normal for desert backpacking, but we weren't used to it.
- The wind and blowing sand was brutal one of the evenings. I was worried about the temps (one day/night was 20 deg colder than the others), but the wind was so much harder to deal with. We got so much sand in our mouth/nose/eyes/ears, let alone our stuff. Again, I'm guessing this is all typical of desert backpacking, but it was a new challenge for us. How many times do I have to do stuff outdoors before I realize that wind is harder to deal with than cold temps?
- I thought the exit out of the SE branch of pictograph fork (to Chimney Rock) was more challenging than any of the other ascents/descents. If I were doing that solo, I probably would have used a rope to raise/lower my pack for that stretch. I was certainly happy to be going up that section instead of down. Overall, the climbs into and out of the canyons were fun and not too bad. You don't want to have a super heavy pack though.
- Our travel was slower than expected overall. The miles are more slow and difficult than what the topo map would suggest (if you are used to hiking in the mountains). We ended up skipping all the optional side trips (Maze Overlook, Confluence Overlook, etc.).
- The route was all surprisingly well-marked. I had expected that we would lose track of the cairns/route once or twice, but we never did.
- The Harvest Scene was definitely a highlight, and I'm glad I read here that you should see it in the morning or evening. We barely caught it before the sun covered the panel, making it practically invisible. The granaries by the Doll House were another highlight. I love the old ruins and rock art.
- The route was more consistently scenic than I imagined it would be. There were no bad parts. The canyon bottoms were just as spectacular as the high views. I only wish we had had another day to explore the canyons. This trip just solidified Canyonlands as my favorite national park (that I've visited yet anyway). My body is now back in the city and at work, but my mind is still wandering the Maze...
