One Maze To Rule Them All

Fall traditions range far and wide in a chilly place like Montana, but none are so puzzling to me as the teenagers (and adults for that matter) who refuse to wear a coat while trudging through the snow at a straw bale maze. Don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE the maze, so much so that we returned from Hawaii for the entire month of October to visit our family and work at the Bozeman Maze (yes, we are working while on “vacation”) and this year has been one of the most impressive yet. (I just face the cold in honesty and wear a coat when required.)

The shape for 2018 is a castle featuring a pumpkin carriage in which many a lost human has been heard shouting to the tower for help out of the seemingly endless spiral. My astonishment at Dale Mandeville’s ability to foresee a maze pattern within the contours of a different shape each season has only grown throughout the years we have worked for him and his beautiful family. Most people come just to have a good time and never contemplate the man hours put into an event like this one, so I want to share with you today the incredible amount of love and effort that goes into this annual treasure…

The land on which the event is hosted has its own complicated structure as it is used actively for farming the rest of the year. The maze used to be on a family property, but as time went by, it grew entirely too large for the space. The new location allows for plenty of parking, for the Maze itself to be incredibly large, along with a full court yard featuring a large party tent and smaller tents carefully sheltering enormous corn filled bins for the young and old to play in, several fun puzzle mazes, an epic power bungee jump system on which all ages can skyrocket themselves above the maze for a spectacular fall view, and pick-up/drop-off locations for a train ride around the event as well as a hay wagon ride pulled by a beautiful tractor waaay out into the adjacent field.

There’s also a concessions building where gleaming faces receive a free candy prize for completing the Maze challenge and finding all 4 colored crayons to mark on their special postcard. It’s here you can also purchase delicious hot drinks, perfectly cooked hotdogs, freshly spun cotton candy, organic fresh popcorn, classic nachos, locally roasted espresso and more served to patrons who loyally return for the phenomenal customer service and familial experience we provide (not to mention everything is yummy as can be!)

Acquiring the straw it takes to build the maze each fall is a challenge unto itself, and sometimes it doesn’t get resolved until a mere week before opening. The crew work to throw/slide/stack all of the bales enthusiastically in the cold as well as unbelievably heat (yes, Autumn can feature some very harsh sun in Montana). It’s a fast paced, wild, dirty experience that proves men and women alike can harness an inner strength they maybe didn’t know they had…

Being part of a well oiled machine of a team is something many in my generation have and will continue to miss out on. Such a shame, as I feel it’s by far one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Roughly 5,000 bales, and 250 man hours (about 600 to open the actual event) later, a masterpiece is born.

The Bozeman Maze is one of the VERY few events that will bring my entire family together (whether they really want to or not), and even keeps them entertained and feeling compassionate. Everyone unites beneath the banner of watching the kids shriek with joy as they bury one another in corn, backflip wildly on the bungee, race through the maze (while being yelled at to stop running), sip deliciousness and get their hands and faces covered in spun cottony goodness. My son now thinks snow is a form of cotton- Ha! If only…

The train is probably Ezekiel’s, my older son, favorite activity on the farm. He begs for the “Choo-choo” every day he visits, and would ride it endlessly if allowed. I love to drive said train, and always make a comical show of introducing myself as “Engineer Bob” and listing my train rules in an eccentric fashion. Kids and parents all think its a hoot, and some will even play along with the charade and call me Bob next time I see them. It’s no ordinary train ride mind you- there’s a tunnel, high fives galore as you pass crew members, and the horn will leave you half deaf (which I think must be a good thing based on how often it’s requested to be blown).

I could honestly ramble for ages about the Maze, but I’ll end here instead with a little advice on when to come and have your own taste of the best Fall fun-