Ague Cove

We've gotten into a good habit of trying to do an island hike every weekend, usually on Sunday.  We're using a great little guide called "The Best Tracks on Guam" by Dave and Bev Lotz.  The trails aren't always easy to find and the guide isn't always accurate on rating difficulty, but it is filled with great maps, pictures, and descriptions.  It's self-published by "Making Tracks" and well worth the $20 and available at the book store at the Guam outlet mall.

Ague Cove, where we went today, is on private land and you park outside a gate.  But it's well used by locals, and, truthfully, we probably would have had a very difficult time finding the trail head had we not followed three nice young men on their trek.

Here's Silvia, still smiling on the way down.  The trail is steep, rugged and slippery - it would have been almost impossible had it been wet.  She was not smiling on the way up; while the trail is slightly less than 1/2 a mile long (from the trail head - it's about another 1/2 mile easy walk from where you park to the trail head), it's 360 feet straight down....and 360 feet straight up on the way back.

It's a spectacular swimming (and snorkeling) hole if the waves are relatively calm, which they were today.  Unfortunately, we weren't well prepared; no bathing suits or towels, although I did skinny dip briefly.  (Sorry, no pictures of that  - you wouldn't have liked them anyway.)  We had plenty of water and a few snacks, but we neglected bug spray.  That was a big mistake.  As soon as you enter the trail, the breeze is cut off and it doesn't take long for the mosquitoes to find you, especially on the way up when you are giving off a great deal of carbon dioxide.

The bay is on the northwest side of the island and one of many hidden gems.

Above, the view from the next cove over, a scramble over some large, limestone boulders.

The view from on top, looking north.

The view from on top, looking south.