Well, finally got the pan off. Turns out I was right, there was an effing maple leaf stuck to the pickup. There was other crud in the pickup. Was getting dark when I got it off so I knocked off for the night. Manana I pull the pump and pickup, clean out the pan and pickup, put in a new oil pump (probably doesn't need one, but I've got one and I've got it apart so may as well put it in), then see how much inroad I can make on putting the suspension and exhaust back together.
Getting it off (this is a 97 5.2 ZJ Limited, if that's not what you have YMMV) I had to pull the Y-pipe, one end of the drag link and track bar, and the bottom shock attachments to get enough clearance to get the pan out.
Lesson for future reference--if the ZJ is in a regular sloped residential driveway and you run it up on ramps to get under it to change the oil, you end up with a good quart of oil still in the pan. Most of it ended up on me when I got the pan off. Next time I park it pointing downslope and when I ramp it up it will be nearly level.
Useful tools:
made getting the Y-pipe off a walk in the park.
took the drag link loose with no effort.