Meeting re: future hikes

Tue - Wed Sept 29 and 30.

Potential hiker meetings.

Due to a conflicting committment for most hikers the Tachonga Lattes hike has been postponed.

Before rescheduling that or scheduling more hikes - let's assess our needs/wishes.

I (Jude) will be at the Public Library to meet with potential hikers and figure out details.

from 3:00pm to 4:00pm on Tues Sept 29 and

from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Wed Sept 30

Come by at one or both of those times

- - - - or - - - -

contact me at: heyjude71@hotmail.com or at 433-7171

- - - - or - - - -

leave a comment here.

Thanks,

Jude

Tachonga Lattes hike - Saturday Sept 26, 2009

EVERYONE WELCOME!

With a number of new hike enthusiasts on the island we will try to revive the hike group. Hikers should wear suitable foot wear and bring their own water. EVERYONE WELCOME!

Saturday - Sept 26, 2009
For the first hike this season we will meet at: 3pm at the big pavillion at Tachonga Beach.

We will go from there to the Latte Stone sites at the other end of Tachonga. If time, conditions and interest prevail we may find some WWII ruins nearby.
This hike requires no climbing and is suitable for children as well as adults. However children must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

Snorkelling after the hike will be up to individuals.

During or after this hike we will discuss future hikes.

For questions you may contact Jude at: heyjude71@hotmail.com or at 433-7171

(Kahet )Tachibana Shinto Shrine Hike, August 2008

(Kahet )Tachibana Shinto Shrine Hike, August 2008



The weather has not been too bad these few days and so I decided to go on a hike to the Tachibana Shinto Shrine. It was not easy to walk in the jungle because it was a lot bushier compared to our last hikes. During the Japanese time the area was called “Kahet” which means orange in Chamorro. They called it Kahet because there were so many orange trees in that area during the Japanese time. The Japanese word “Tachibana” means wild orange.
The Tachibana Shrine is covered with growing Tagantagan and grass. The site is about 0.24 miles west from the Seabee Monument. The parking area for the shrine is surrounded by pine trees. The site is about 580 feet from the parking area. The flame tree was planted during the Japanese period and so it is thought that there could be sites of interest where ever those trees are found.
This is the jungle where we entered heading to Tachibana Shrine.

The photo above is of Lina and Erica hiking in the jungle.

There are an abundance of bamboo trees in the jungle where the site is. Weeds have difficulty growing in the bamboo tree forest.
The concrete foundations of the shrine remains and the fence is slowly breaking apart every year.

We are now on our way to the torii gate. If you walk to the left of the foundation you will be able to find it.

I drew this map so you can easily imagine how they build shrine and placed these structures.

This is the first lantern, the top part of the lantern has disappeared.

The second lantern still has its upper structure intact. I cleared off the lantern area because I could not get a good picture. The vines and weeds covered the entire lanterns

This is the right side of the leg.

The torii gate between the two lantern lay fallen on the ground. I cleaned the area too because I could not get a good picture of it. I wanted to take a picture of the entire gate but I didn’t have room to back up and so I decided to take a picture for each part of it.

This is the opposite side of the leg.

I put the two pictures together. (please click the picture to see lager image.)

There is a washing area for your hands and mouth to purify yourself before entering the shrine. This is a custom that is practiced in Japan.

There is a concrete foundation and its size is about 16 feet long. It seems to look like a water tank. I'm not sure but it's used to set the deity’s house on top of the stairs.

I am in the picture above. I am pulling up weeds around torii gate area.

We are returning back to the car and on the way back we found this mushroom.

On our next hike I plan to look for the missing part of the lantern.

By Mitch

Tinian beach old Leprosy sanitarium site

Tinian beach old Leprosy sanitarium site. July 2008

Erica Beach is also called Tinian Beach, Leprosarium Beach, or aka Nasarinu .
There was a sanitarium for leprosy patients near Erica beach. Other sanitariums were also built in Palau, Guam, Saipan, as well on Tinian at Erica Beach.
Erica(My dauter) and I walked on what was left of the sanitarium site.

You can get to Erica Beach by turning left of the Tinian Dump and there is a fork in the road. If you turn right you can see the graveyard for the leprosy patients who has passed away on Tinian. If you turn left you will be able to go to Erica Beach.

When driving into Erica Beach you can see the entrance to the sanitarium on the left side.
You can see the concrete walkways just right after the entrance area.
During the World War II, leprosy patients were sent to the sanitarium. It was said that the patients were strictly isolated in this area because they were afraid that the disease was easily transferable which is not true.


The surrounding areas is covered by fresh weeds. This is the second set of stairs.

There are long sidewalks that seem like they used to be used as hallways for the sanitarium.

There is a pile of cement bags that was used to create some kind of structure.

We were not sure what it was used for.


Because there are many snake plants in this area, there might have been a Japanese garden in this area. The Japanese used to use snake plants to build gardens.

It looks like a maze in the sanitarium.

Only the mark of the wall in a square building remains.

There is a square building structure where Erica is standing.


Erica is leaving the site.

There used to be a Guamanian who used to live on Tinian who was admitted to the sanitarium. He is still alive until this day.
After looking through the site we walked down to Erica Beach to pick some shells.

I asked Mr. Borja about some facts about the area from the Tinian Historical Preservation Office. I would like to express my thanks to him for telling me about the site.

By Mitch

Westside of Calorinas cliff line and two caves May 17, 2008

On Saturday May 17th , Five of us set off to hike under the west side of the Calorinas lime stone forest trail to explore two caves and to hike along the cliff line.We are at the grassy parking area near the first cave and we’re going to enter jungle behind it. The picture above is of Rose, Kaori, Erica, and Lina from the left to right. I took this picture.

Rose started heading to first cave. This area is great hiking spot for a lime stone forest.It took 5 minutes to get to the first cave from where we parked our car.

Rose is standing in the entrance of the cave which is only about 3x3 feet.

Rose going down into cave 1.

After we went down into cave we found a lot of fragments of Japanese ceramic plates and cups. The Japanese used to live in the cave as a shelter during the World War II.

We had to go down into second layer of the cave, so we had to use a rope which was provided by Rose. It was really steep and hard to get down.
The picture above is Kaori kneeling down as she began her descent into the second level. Rose was telling Kaori where she should put her foot to step down safely.

At the Bottom is cave where limestone cave was very beautiful.

The cave’s ceiling was high enough to for us to stand up without bumping our heads.

Since the entrance was so small, we never thought that the cave was this big. You can see Rose in the background with a flashlight from a distance.

This land club lives in bottom of the cave 1.　　　　

A lot of cutlery, plates, and tools have been left behind.

These look like fuel containers; however they may have been used to store drinking water.

There was big container filled with water that has been collected from the dripping water coming from the ceiling of the cave.

Another world not imaginable is in here separated from the outside. White spots appeared on picture above, due to moisture collected on our camera lenses. It looks like a world of fantasy.

It was really wide at the bottom of cave 1.

It is time to go out from cave 1 because we are going to see the next cave.

We climbed out through the entrance of the cave. It was easier to climb out than to climb in.

Everyone enjoyed cave 1 and now we are going to follow the cliff line to the south. Rose is standing in front of the cliff line.

Before we start hiking Rose showed us the concrete tank near the cliff line.

There were two kinds of shapes; one is round the other one was square. I am not sure what they were used for.

There was a deep well near the concrete tank. I think that well was full of water from underground in the past because there were collections of water from the drops of water coming from the cave. So I think these tanks were used to collect water from the well.

We entered cliff line because Rose wanted to show us the Okinawan Monument. Both sides are cliffs of sheer Lime Stone. The Japanese call this area the folding screen rock because the walls are wavy.

I’m standing under big Banyans, in Chamorro they’re called Nunu.

In the picture above Rose and Erica stand in front of the Monument. This monument was built for the Mr. Ginoza’s family.

Kaori offers water to the monument in a traditional Japanese style.

A little after the monument we must return to search for the second cave.

On the way we found baby coconuts crab under the rock.There is a lot of nature around this area.

Rose turned to the left on the way back and she said there is a very interesting cave a short way down south.

This is the entrance of cave 2. Rose has already made it in the cave on her own, and is now waiting for us to follow. Erica trying to enter but it’s really small and hard to get in.

She changed her mind and decide to enter legs first.

The picture above is Kaori entering cave 2. There is 90 degree steep slope just right after she got into cave.

Lina took this picture from middle of the cave. It looks like a thick rope but it is a root from plant outside. It was a life line to hold to getting into the cave.

Lina took this picture, too. At last I got into the entrance and trying to reach to the bottom.

Rose was already on the bottom and leading us deeper into the cave.

It’s looks quite narrow at the bottom of the cave but this is just a part of the it and there is a more wide area ahead.

It was not big as the first cave but there is pool on the bottom of this cave.

The water was cool and little salty. It’s really clear and beautiful place.

The water is dropping from the ceiling. If the flashlights were turned off you were unable to see anything. It’s absolutely dark world here in the cave.

It’s time to go back to outside because our flashlight has been used for a long period time… and we worry about being stuck in the caves while it’s pitch black.

Everyone was out of the cave safely with Rose’s lead and we were happy to see this cave 2. In the picture from left to right, Kaori, Lina, me, Erica and Rose.

We would like to say big thanks to Rose who led us this great hike.

Everyone is welcome to join these hikes

or to suggest hikes they can lead.

May Hike

Everyone is welcome for these hikes.

So far, only one hike is scheduled for May.
Saturday May 3 - no hike due to San Jose Fiesta.

Saturday May 10 -

NOTE: This hike has been re-scheduled for May 17. Meet at Jude's - ie: San Nicolas apt bldg near Kammer Beach at 8:00am

Cave. Rose Lazaro will join us and will lead a hike to a cave near the old target range on the way up toward Suicide Cliff.
Depending on how long this hike lasts we may go find some other caves on the way up toward the animal sancturary.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Grace Christian parking lot.
Bring your flashlight.

April 4 and 26, 2008 Return to Tachonga

First let me apologize for the untimeliness of this hike write-up. Excuses are cheap so I could give you many but the most truthful is that I just HATE doing the blog. If blogging is as tedious for everyone as I find it I doubt there'd be so many zillions of blogs. So there must be something I just don't 'get' about doing it. But for now on with it.

There have actually been two hikes back to the Tachonga Lattes this month. On April 4th, three of us, Mitch, Lina and myself set out to see the lattes and to search for another set of the stones. On the way we stopped to watch a crab on the beach who cooperatively posed for our cameras.

Then we plunged into the jungle where we soon spotted an animal looking rock. We decided it must be a gaurdian rock as it is near the beginning of the trail we take to the latte stone site.

Continuing onward, we came to the grinding stone. Lina tried her hand at grinding. Grinding stones were once used in this area to grind grain into to meal - I think.
Looking off to the right , we could already see our old friends the lattes. The growth around them was low and light and the sun was in a good postition for getting a picture of several of them at once. Given the spacing of the still upright pillar stones, if these were used as the base for a house or other building (as is assumed today) it must have been a very long one.
Lina wanted to sit on top of one of the pillars, but never quite made it to the top. Ater strolling around the lattes we went over to see the huge umumu tree near them. There the ever alert Mitch spotted a bird's nest with 3 eggs in it. We were careful not to touch the nest and only tipped the branch far enough to see into it.
Next we began our search going northward. There are other stones nearby that we knew about but we wanted to find another set of lattes that we knew should be in the area but that we'd never seen. After a short hike we came to a rather clear grassy area with clusters of limestones.
After clearing some of the tall grass we could see that we'd been successful and had found another set of lattes. These are considerably smaller and closer together than the others.
We continued onward but the boonie bee presence became too evident and after I was stung on the hand we decided to head for the beach. We came to a stand of banana plants suggesting that this was once an inhabited area but saw no more lattes. We were always in earshot of the ocean so it wasn't long before it came into view and we left the jungle behind.
Almost back at the beach we paused to admire a newly sprouted coconut and to marvel at its ability to thrive in the sandy floor of the light jungle area near the beach.

On April 26, 2008 the same three of us plus Erika and Kim went back. This time on the way down the beach we saw something in the water. At first we thought turtle but then decided it was not. Perhaps a large fish eating something. We didn't actually get a picture of it as it would only be partially visible on the surface for seconds at a time. Mitch took this picture of the rest of us trying to figure out what it was.
When we got to the grinding stone Kim took her turn at grinding.
Then Kim, Mitch and I posed on the 'teacup' stone of one of the lattes for the obligatory picture. Since only Kim had never been here before we took less pictures than usual this trip.
We showed Kim the umumu tree and the now empty bird's nest. It looked a bit worse for the wear. We could see right through it in spots. I suppose, like our own homes, they require maintenance and quickly deteriorate when vacated.
Then we set off toward the new (to us) set of lattes.
This time, they seemed much closer. Once again, Mitch is the photographer for this shot of Kim, Lina, Erika and me resting on one set of the the fallen lattes.
Having already run into boonie bees and knowing the likelihood of many more if we continured on we opted to go back and exit to the beach via our usual path. Even though that meant skirting the nest of bees where I'd already been stung on the other hand from last time. We made it back without mishap. At the beach we examined the shell only of another kind of crab.
That day I was in treatment for an abcessed molar which had me fighting off a migraine and with a new bee sting, as much as I love snorkelling, at that point I opted to go home. The others enjoyed a very uncrowded Tachonga beach.
Both verbal reports and pictures taken indicate that the snorkelling was great!

I want to thank Lina and Mitch for providing most of the pictures this time.