By Jamie Karras

NORTH LOGAN -- "Turn right at the next corn stalk!" Sounds easy enough, right? Wait until you're surrounded by 13 acres of corn stalks. As the leaves begin to change color, Cache Valley residents start to notice corn mazes popping up.

Josh Curtis of Smithfield follows the red ink he placed on his map to find the correct path through the Green Canyon Corn Maze. "Now I know how to get out of here," Curtis said. / Photo by Jamie Karras

Owners of the Green Canyon Corn Maze, shaped like a spider's web, brag that it's "the only way to get lost."

"It's the biggest corn maze I've ever been to," said Luke Thomas, a junior at Utah State University.

The maze, which is in its fourth year of business, is owned and operated by Ron Jensen and his family of North Logan. It was first designed on a computer
and then staked out on rented land just north of the George S. Eccles Ice Center. Corn was planted and when it was high enough, the Jensen's went through and killed it to make a maze of pathways.

"Once [the corn] is in, you do everything to make sure it grows right," said Jensen.

Jensen says this project is a great opportunity for family togetherness.

"I have to force [my children] right now," said Jensen. But later on they realize what a unique experience it is.

Despite the big crowds that show up toward the end of the week, the maze isn't as profitable as one might think. Last year, after 900 hours of work Jensen's wages averaged out to be about 90 cents an hour. That was, of course, after he had paid his children.

"You can't be doing it for the money," said Jensen. "It's all for fun."

The maze attracts people of all ages; adults right down to children.

In their second attempt at successfully conquering the maze, Josh Curtis of Smithfield and his friends used red ink to map out the correct path on an aerial view of the maze provided at the entrance.

"Now I know how to get out of here," Curtis said.

With flashlights in hand, or attached to their heads, Curtis' group made it a competition to see who could be the first one out. The reward: "ultimate respect."

Frustration can come easy in a maze of this size. Larry Belnap, a junior at USU, and his date never made it out of the maze -- the right way that is. They ended up back at the entrance three times before finally giving up.

"If the corn wasn't there it would have been a whole lot easier," said Belnap.

Thomas said he and his date marked their path with leaves from the stalks to aid them in their quest of reaching the end.

Haunting begins Oct. 12, and the maze will run until Nov. 1. Operation hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 p.m. to midnight Friday and 2 p.m. to midngith Saturday. Cost is $5.

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