Corn maze draws young, old, clueless

Some plowed through with determined looks on their faces, like they knew exactly where they were going. Others wandered about, scrutinizing maps in hand with uncertainty, their puzzled looks seeming to say, “Haven’t I seen this patch of corn before?”

Hundreds turned out to get lost Saturday afternoon in the “Amaizing Corn Maze” in Hauser, Idaho.

The maze opens up each year about six weeks before Halloween. This year’s set of confusing trails features more than five miles of paths in three adjacent mazes in the shape of a witch, a ghost and a haunted house. Another maze is haunted at night with chilling horror characters, such as Jason from “Friday the 13th” and a character from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

Corn maze manager Chad Griffith, who works for Sports USA, said about 17,000 people went to the maze last year. Sports USA, a nonprofit organization, manages the maze, which is sponsored by Clear Channel.

“The closer it gets to Halloween, the busier I get,” Griffith said.

Many like to visit at night, perhaps because of the spook factor.

“I get a lot of the teenage crowd wanting to get scared,” he said.

In addition, people enjoy the idea of getting lost and finding their way again.

“Not only are you going to get some exercise walking, you have fun doing it,” Griffith said, adding that it’s especially popular with parents with children.

“We’re the best day care in town right now,” Griffith said. “It’s just a nice family affair, with good, clean fun.”

A local farmer grows and maintains the corn, which is not suitable for human consumption but can be used for animal feed. Professional cutters come in to clear the paths.

Groups of teenagers, couples and entire families trudged through the paths littered with corn stalks and pieces of corn, the standing golden stalks towering above them and rustling in the wind.

All the paths look the same.

“We’re definitely lost,” said Travis Rehmke, 16, who was there with Justin Cady, 12, and Tanica Rehmke, 15.

One child, riding on his father’s shoulders, seemed to be having so much fun that he requested they eat corn for dinner.

Rob Storm was making his way through the ghost section with his wife and two kids. He said they come every year, and they spend as much as three hours trying to get through the maze.

“It’s definitely challenging in the daytime. I can’t imagine what it would be like in the nighttime,” he said.

But those lacking a sense of direction need not worry.

“If they get lost, they can call me and I can go get them,” Griffith said. There’s a “lost in the corn maze hotline” included on the map.

Volunteers also walk though the rows in search of wanderers who need some help out.

In fact, getting lost at the maze serves a good cause. Griffith said sets of volunteers from different organizations are “hired” each weekend to raise money for their groups.

“Most of them get about $1,000 to help with their organization,” Griffith said. “We’re just trying to give back to our community and help with our youth.”

This week’s team was students and parents from East Valley High School’s Knight Force basketball club.

Melvin Schaff, 14, one of the players, was making the rounds clearing away fallen stalks and making sure the yellow tape marking the paths stayed up.

“It teaches you your mapping skills and how to be friendly,” Schaff said.