I recently returned from a trip up to Maug, an island apart of the Northern Mariana Islands chain. It is roughly around 330 miles North of Saipan, surrounded by Uracas (North of Maug) and Asuncion (South of Maug). Years ago, the island used to resemble a cone-shaped volcanoe that can be found through out the Northern Mariana Islands chain. After an obvious violent eruption, the remote island transformed into the three islands that can be seen to this day. The topography of the island is very rugged. Steep hills and sheering volcanic ridges pattern all the islands. There are certain areas where vertical ridges protrude outward from the islands.