Saipan TDL # 25: Forbidden Island

Me, with Nicole French and Rhonda Prokopetz on Forbidden Island. Sabbath, June 6, 2009.

Elijah and I stop for a photo op on the hike back up from Forbidden. Lucky fella, he spent the whole grueling hike up to the trailhead fast asleep.

This past Sabbath, June 6, 2009, the Piersons, Rhonda, Nicole, Twyla, "J", Philip (the son of Rolly, one of our church members), and Elijah and I, set out in the sweltering heat of a Saipan mid-afternoon for the island's penultimate hike--Forbidden Island.

We went earlier than usual, so that we would catch the low tide and cross over to Forbidden itself.

We reached the island around 3 p.m. and the tide was quite low. After loitering around the base for a little bit, I left Elijah in the care of "J", Crystal, and Philip (the climb up Forbidden was a bit too intense even for an adrenaline junkie like Elijah!) and waded over to the island.

Ken summits Forbidden Island, while Nicole celebrates in the background.

Views from Forbidden


Ken with part of an eggshell he found on Forbidden.

This was only my third time to the top of Forbidden. The last time was with Grant, Britni and all the other RockStars back in 2006, and the time before that was years earlier, during my first few years in Saipan. It's a really neat place--I can't think of anywhere else on Saipan like it. This part of Saipan feels very wild and lonely and Forbidden's windswept mesa embodies that feeling. Look out in one direction and you see the open sea, look in another and you see Saipan's rocky shore. There's nothing on the island but scrubby grass growing out of rocky ground. The birds love it and we saw dozens of nests perched precariously on the edges of the island, with the parents circling nervously overhead.

After exploring Forbidden Island for awhile, we clambered back down and crossed back over to the mainland. Elijah was a happy little fella in my absence, and he continued to sit contentedly on "J"'s lap munching contentedly on his teething biscuit. Ken and I took a refreshing swim in the natual swimming pool in the shadow of the island, before we all headed back up the trailhead, our visit--our final one for Rhonda, Nicole, and mostly likely me as well--came to an end. It was beautiful and fun. Forbidden will always remain one of my favorite places on Saipan.


In this case, the egg definitely came first. Ken spotted several of these nests, with a single egg in each, and then he found this. . .

. . .look at that, the little chick is so cute!

Rhonda and French on Forbidden's rocky surface.

Forbidden Vista: If you look closely you'll note Rhonda getting ready to make her descent and Ken far off in the distance.

Standing on Forbidden.

The descent.

Elijah and I clowning around at the base of Forbidden Island.



After a fun afternoon, Elijah and I are packed up and ready to go home.