Bird Island Beach

December 28 is our last Sunday hike of 2014. It is almost sad that another year has flown by so quickly. But we have had a great year of hiking.
We have covered the island from north to south, east to west, explored numerous caves (still more to explore), climbed cliffs and hills, braved rains, winds, boonie bee stings, cuts and scratches, getting lost and found. We have enjoyed each and every hike, marveled at the beauty of our island, learned about the flora and fauna. Most of all, we have loved the comraderie of our hiking buddies. As it happens on Saipan, hikers arrive and leave, taking with them fond memories. We continue to welcome new hikers, eager to share our love of hiking.
Last Sunday, we choose a short hike. Instead of meeting at our usual Go-Kart parking, at 6:15, we meet at the trail head of Kimikaze, thus cut out a big chunk of walking, to begin our morning.

Cutie's niece Alice (right) brings her friend Ayaka (left) to show her how we spend our Sunday mornings. They are well protected to plow through the overgrown trail.

RedEye shows us this large brand new sign marking Kimikaze trail. This will make the trail easily accessible and perhaps better maintained.

RedEyeHandy leads the way, followed by CB, Chops, Alice and Ayaka, winding through the trail.

Pretty girls admiring the giant root snaking up the tree trunk.

A nice mushroom right in the middle of the trail. We hope no one steps on it!

Cute Cutie smelling the bloom of a male papaya plant offered by CB. We are on the way to the Bird Island Beach.

To reach the trail down to the beach, we first have to clamor down a steep slope. With the aide of a sturdy rope, Ayaka carefully steps down the slippery slope.

Alice follows suit.

HandyRedEye positions himself for a safe descend. At the base of this slope, we continue on a very narrow trail down to a second roped slope before reaching the beach.

Chops, CB, and Ayaka waiting at the bottom of the second drop-off as Alice and Cutie gingerly make their way down.

HandyRedEye is the last one down. He does a graceful tumble halfway down, and decides to take a rest. Chops then decides to go up there to join him. They look way too comfortable!

Bird Island Beach. Quiet and calm. We are the sole visitors. Chops and CB taking a walk down the beach to enjoy the gentle sun and cool breeze.

Snack time. 

CC, CB, Ayaka, and Alice make a colorful group.

We try to get a group shot. Then RedEye drops into a nap, and CB shows off her form.

Finally. We get the group ready. HandyRedEye, Cutie, Chops, Ayaka, Alice, CC, and CB.

From the beach to the first slope, we have to go through a mesh of tangled branches. Chops and CB have their gloves ready to haul themselves up. 

Handy takes a rest as Chops tries to pass him on the narrow trail. We all make it back safely and happily.

Pretty bunches of doni sali (bird peppers). These are wild plants on the Kimikaze trail. Cutie and CC snap off a few to take home. They make for great finadene sauce. 

Cutie, Alice and RedEye on the way back on Kimikaze Trail. The fern forest in full glory.

As planned, this hike is short. Total distance is only 2.6 miles. We enjoy the leisurely pace, the quiet beach, and the beautiful weather. A great hike to cap off the year 2014.

"Santa Claus" Lane

It seems only appropriate to take our hike on Sunday before Christmas to Santa Claus Lane in Marpi. It will be nice and easy to welcome Cutie and HandyRedEye back. We will miss several of our regulars who are off island, and hope that they continue to hike at wherever they are to maintain the traditional Sunday activity. 
At 6:15 a.m. HandyRedEye, Cutie, Chops, CB, and CC arrive at the big Taotaomona tree. After a while, Spicegirl, Scout, Marine (friend from France), and Boy rush down the road to meet us, as they have been waiting at the other taotaomona tree further up the road. 
We begin by walking up the Suicide Cliff way just so we can finish the road walk first.

A brilliant colored plumeria bush bring instant joy to us.

The first hill is over, CB checks out Cutie, Marine, Chops and RedEye to make sure they are ready for the second climb. As we head up the hill toward Grotto, the turnoff to Santa Claus soon appears.

A forest of strange looking cacti greets us on the Santa Claus Lane. 

This trail remains quite open and unmolested by wild growth of sword grass and tall bushes like what happens in so many of the other trails we have hiked recently. It is cool and pleasant as Chops and Cutie enjoy their morning chats.

At the end of Santa Claus we turn right onward to CowTown trail. RedEye, Marine, and Cutie accompanied by Boy.

RedEye and Scout stop to look at the now barely visible "Cow Town" sign. After more than 20 years, the sign is finally fading. 

From Cow Town we turn down toward the beach. Here Boy finds new friends.

Dried branches from the pandanus trees cover the ground. 

CB, Chops, and Cutie making a brief stop on the way down to the beach, standing under a big Kafu about to drop down on them!

According to CB, this flower with only one half of its petals is named the same as boughanville, it is called "Puti Tai Nobio" or "It's sad not to have love"

Rainy weather brings out another brilliant growth of these beach flowers, as CB calls them "Halaihai Tasi"

Cutie, Scout, Marine, and CB take a moment to watch the surfs. The water appears to be quite rough and the tides are high.

Spicegirl and Boy near the big waves crashing against the rocks. We decide to move to higher grounds for our snack time rest.

A perfect spot for snacks. RedEye, Scout, Spicegirl, Chops, CB, and Cutie gobbling up the goodies.

CB showing off "Bite My Tongue" cracker. From the beach, we retrace the Cow Town trail and then through the dump road back to our cars.

Under the big Taotaomona Tree, an original shot of our group photo and a cropped version for a closer look. Marine, Scout, Boy, Spicegirl, RedEye, Cutie, CC, Chops and CB. We say goodbye to Marine who is returning to France.

An exact recording of our hike on RunKeepers.

XTerra Overgrown

We hear that the Xterra trail is much overgrown during the rainy season and is near impassable. Having avoided going down the trail during the past months, we decide to be adventurous and brave the jungly trail on Sunday. With Christmas nearing, we also plan to have a little rest and relaxation with coffee and snacks at the end of the hike. At 6:20 eight hikers and Boy meet at the driveway dressed with protective clothing and gloves, and begin to find out just how overgrown the trail has become. 

The first portion of the trail is passable but is definitely covered with foot-high bushes.

After dodging the ubiquitous sword grass and the most un-welcomed thorny mimosa, we come upon this deep whirlpool size hole on the trail. Chops, Giggles, CB, Scout, and others take a moment to examine the hole before carefully stepping around and pushing through the grass to continue.

An interesting bush and flowers. Chops and CB will find out its name.

Chops gets caught in a tangle of vines, thorns, grass, and fallen branches.

Giggles pushes her way past the sword grass.

Aaron, CB, push the grass aside for Spicegirl to go through.

Temporarily emerged onto a clearing, we stop to admire the valley below with beautiful  African Tulips and perfect and healthy palms.

Crouching in the bushes, CB and Aaron are stalking some unsuspecting hikers.

Mushrooms marching up this tree trunk.

A brief break from the scratchy bushes and hazardous trail with Giggles, Ewok, and Chops.

Right in the middle of the lower trail, a large and twisting vine has somehow made its way from one side to the other across the trail. After hanging on or swinging on it a little, the group decides to have a photo taken before the vine will eventually be taken down. Giggles, Scout, Ewok, Spicegirl, CB, and Chops are getting a real kick out of it (maybe not Ewok!).

Hiking comes to a stand still when we find a few old "bojobo" seed pods on the ground and some hanging on the vine. Scout sees some pods and decides to climb up a nearby tree to retrieve the pods for Aaron. Meanwhile, Aaron is impressed and cries "My dad the hero!!" 

Proudly displaying the new and still green pods.

A surprise new pool greets us when we arrive at Hidden Beach. The normally sandy and smooth beach is now covered with this large pool with large number of rocks strewn everywhere. We have to step over boulders and rocks on a different path leading down to the water. Guess the recent "storms" and heavy rains have re-arranged the beach.

We make a quick stop for a little snacks, saving some of it for our coffee-hour later. Boy salivates as he watches Giggles getting mochi from the pack.

Thirsty Boy... now we hurry and make our way back up the tough trail to get back to Kosacks in time for coffee service.

Finally! Coffee Time. Rexplorer serves up espresso coffee for everyone, with Biscotti, Mochi, tangerines, and other pastries. It's our annual "Christmas" after-hike "brunch" treat. Giggles, Aaron, Scout, CB, Chops, CC, Ewok, and Giggles having a good time...

We are happy to have explored the XTerra trail to witness how tough the hike is. For us, "tough" is "fun"... The 3.8 mile hike takes us less than 3 hours.