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While in Dominica Trish and I filled our days with such activities as island touring, hiking and snorkeling. By far, the pinnacle experience was my hike to the boiling lake.
In our second week on the island, my friend Bill from Makai joined me for the hike. It is described in detail in our Caribbean hiking guidebooks and listed as the number one hike. It is considered a strenuous hike with slippery rocks and paths. The authors caution that this 12 mile round trip hike should only be undertaken by those in good physical condition and then only with proper footwear and plenty of water and food.
The night before our hike, it rained like never before. Rain fell in thick sheets and seemed to be endless. I was afraid of poor conditions on the trail, but unwilling to forego the trip. Our guide, Peter Green, showed up to greet our moderate sized group of six hikers gathered in the van and headed for the trailhead.
Peter was a colorful character and strong hiker. He moved quickly down the trail, leading our group of hikers through mud and puddles along the way. We all hopped and bounced from roots and rocks to avoid a deep plunge into a soaking puddle. With six or more hours of hiking to go, no one wanted to start out with soaked shoes and feet. I followed closely behind the guide and tried to emulate the placement of his feet as we moved swiftly through the dark and thickening rainforest. The trail for the first hour passed quickly and was not exceedingly rough. At the end of the first hour, we descended steeply to the Friendship River, forded, and took a short break on the other side to consider our ascent to the 3500’ peak of Morne Nichols. We took off up the mountain and quickly found an endless number of steps leading to the heavens.
An hour later, we reached the fog-shrouded summit. It was cold and extremely windy at the summit. We all clutched our hats and put our damp jackets back on to keep off the chill. Pressing on, the trail opened up to give us a wide-open view of the “Valley of Desolation”, a hub of volcanic activity. It is full of hot, sulfurous springs, steaming pools and streams, and colors of rocks and minerals that are not typically seen by humans. It is described as an alien environment and fits that description completely.
We descended steeply down “stairs” towards the valley floor. The “stairs” were actually erosion control dams. They are generally too far apart for an easy step and too close together to take a step in between. The steepness continued as we crossed several mineral rich streams, alternating between hot and cold water. Once on the valley floor, we toured the rich scene as we made our way across and towards the boiling lake.
We crossed the valley, re-entered the forest, and climbed to a small rise and descended again. This, I was sure, would be the boiling lake. Surprisingly, we emerged in yet another desolate looking valley. I asked the guide about our route, and he simply shrugged and said, “This is the second valley.”
Again, we reentered the forest canopy and climbed up to what was finally the edge of the crater that has partially filled and become the famous boiling lake. Amid the steam and fog, it was difficult to get a clear view of the lake. Nonetheless, we peered over the edge at the boiling water and sat on some rocks to eat our packed lunches. I pulled out my lunch, ate quickly, and considered this to be the most unusual place I’d ever eaten lunch.
We departed the boiling lake at about 1 PM on our return route. By this point, the rain had stopped completely, though it remained windy and colder than one would imagine for a hike in the tropics. We passed through the “second” valley of desolation and arrived back at the “first” valley. We stopped at a small stream of warm mineral water that had a natural pool. We all donned swimsuits, unlaced our wet, nasty, hiking shoes, and slid into the warm embrace of perfectly comfortable water. It was a delightful stop. It soon became difficult to think of a good reason to get out of the pool and put the hiking clothes back on!
We eventually did resume our hiking and shortly, we began the ascent of Morne Nichols from “the other side.” The oversized stairs that we descended steeply were now at eye level. The climb was tiring and for the first time, our group became spread out. I wondered how I would fare with this hike since I haven’t done anything like it or any running in months. I was happy to keep up right behind Peter, maintaining a conversation with him as I hopped from stair to stair on the ascent. We stopped for a break at one point, the group reassembled, and Peter informed us that there were about 400 stairs yet to climb.
Peter stopped us just before the end of our hike and took us over to a viewpoint of Titou Gorge. A log has fallen across the very narrow (6-8 feet wide) gorge opening. He led us one by one to the log to have a look. We all went expecting to see a streambed just below us. Each of us came back with eyes wide with fascination, as the gorge at this point is easily 100 feet deep. It is a head-spinning view and one that would likely kill a person afraid of heights.
Back at the trailhead, our adventure continued. We donned bathing suits again and swam upstream in the gorge about 100 yards to a beautiful waterfall. It was an ethereal experience. As I swam upstream in the bracingly cold water, I asked myself what I was doing there. Had I not had enough exercise for the day or what?
The van picked us up rather late. We were a cold, wet, tired group that climbed into the van and headed back to Roseau. Jim from the Cabo Rico 42, Selah, showed the wear and tear we all felt as he struggled to stand upright and walk to the van.
Trish picked us up in the dinghy from the Indian River and we made our way back to Eventyr where a dinner of meatloaf and potatoes was awaiting me. It was a great end to an amazing day. I was extremely happy at having the opportunity to do the hike. It was made even sweeter by the fact that Martin, our friend and island tour guide, expected me to be laid up for a few days afterward, yet I felt great.
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