As I mentioned in an earlier post, I previously owned a sailboat. In 2009, a friend from college and I bought a sailboat together and we lived aboard and cruised the Caribbean. This is an article that I wrote about one of our adventures but never did anything with.
As cruisers, many of us are drawn to adventure simply for the chance to get off the beaten path to explore the little treasures hiding in the Caribbean. Here’s one such place that you simply cannot miss! Friends of mine had been on the Boiling Lake hike in Dominica 6 months prior to our arrival and couldn’t stop raving about how great it was. We immediately set out to find what all of the fuss was about. I was excited.
Our guide buddy Spike!
It all started at 8:20 that morning. We were running late to meet Seacat and his dog Spike, our guides. Thankfully, so was a couple from another yacht who decided to join our tour. We jumped in Seacat’s van and drove about half an hour from Roseau to Laudat, where we found the trail just next to the Titou Gorge.
It was overcast that day, which is good because it would block the heat of the Caribbean sun. Seacat pointed out the flora as we walked, making a point of showing us the differences in plant species as we made our way through the ecosystems on the trail. Throughout the day he proved to be extremely knowledgeable and gave us interesting information about the whole Morne Trois Pitons National Park where the Boiling Lake is located.
About an hour into the hike, we stopped next to a picturesque stream appropriately called “The Breakfast River”, which allowed us to catch our breath. Thankfully, Seacat had the foresight to pack food and pulled some sweet grapefruit out of his backpack for us to eat.
We had been warned that it is a challenging hike and it’s a good thing that we took a rest because the trail only became steeper and more difficult. We climbed up and down for approximately another hour until we arrived at a clearing at the top of one of the peaks (3168 ft). When we could see through the mist and clouds, there was a spectacular 360-degree view. To celebrate the climb, Seacat
Super steep! Looking straight down onto Mike’s head.
pulled a gallon of traditional homemade rum punch out of his back pack. As we toasted to our efforts, I started to wonder how much stuff he could possibly have in that small backpack of his. I was distinctly reminded of a clown car.
From the clearing, we descended into the Valley of Desolation. It was difficult at best; the trail is not obvious, is wet and looks slippery. The valley earns its name because of the lack of vegetation and animal life but was gorgeous due to the multitude of mineral colors coming up from underground. Water runs down into the valley from the rainforest above. On the way down, it hits volcanic vents which heat the water. By the time you reach the bottom of the valley the water is almost all boiled off. There are small geysers, steam vents, and boiling puddles everywhere. The ground gives the impression that you are walking on thin crusty ice that you could fall through at any moment, although in actuality this isn’t the case. The water is white, and deposits of iron, magnesium, and sulfur create streaks of white, orange, yellow, green, grey/blue colors. Add in the bright green moss and lichens, and it reminded me of a vibrant Easter egg.
Seacat took off and ran down the trail ahead of us, saying that he had a surprise. About ten minutes later we caught up with him, and he pulled hard boiled eggs out of one of the small boiling vents. I was pretty happy I had the common sense to avoid dunking my hand in to test the temperature and once again marveled at Seacat’s seemingly magic backpack.
Magical, youth enhancing volcanic mud!
After we ate our eggs, Seacat smeared volcanic mud all over our faces. I was secretly calculating how much money I could make by selling this fabulous volcanic mud mask back home as the boys were off pretending they had camouflage paint on instead of what I consider a beauty product.
Hoping to reap all of the benefits possible from the mud mask, I kept mine on as we continued. From the valley, we could see the steam rising off of the top of the lake, and we were anxious to finally reach the end of the trail. We walked another 15 min up the path and there it was. As we rounded the corner, I was completely astounded. This was no boiling puddle or pond. It is an actual lake inside what looks like a volcanic crater. The trail opens up at the top of the rim where you can view the whole lake including the middle which is at a rolling boil. I learned from Seacat that it isn’t really a crater. It’s a fumarole, which is an opening in the earth’s crust which emits steam and gases from the lava below. He explained that the water flows down the steep hills and seeps through the porous rock at the bottom of the lake where the water is heated to the boiling point. The lake is approximately 200ft in diameter, and it is the second largest boiling lake in the world.
The awesome power of nature!
As I stood on the ledge overlooking the lake in complete awe, I tried to calculate the massive amount of energy required to boil that much water. Then I looked at my two friends who each have a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and decided to simply bask in presence of that much power, enjoy the view and ask them the answer to that question later. There is a small trail that leads down to the water’s edge where you can test to see if the water is actually boiling. Swimming is definitely not recommended. Seacat told about one of the other local men who accidentally fell in, had to be airlifted out and who now has burn scars covering both legs.
We took some time at the overlook taking pictures, enjoying the view, and having a bite to eat before the 3.5-hour hike back to the van. Once again, Seacat’s backpack stirred to life and provided us with fried plantains, a local salt fish dish, and more rum punch. Now I was totally convinced that the backpack had come straight out of a “Harry Potter” novel. The salt fish was a particular favorite with not only us hikers but by the way Spike sat attentively next to Seacat, you could tell it was one of his favorites as well.
Our muscles thanked us!
We followed the trail back the way we came, which was just as difficult as the way there. This time, Seacat stopped at a series of 3 natural hot springs which were each about the size of a hot tub.
We all gladly jumped in to rest our tired muscles even though we were acutely aware of just how difficult it would be to get out again and continue the remaining 2 hours to get back to the start. Seacat eventually goaded us out of the hot springs with the promise of one more surprise before going back to Roseau.
When we arrived at the end of the trail, we were rewarded with a refreshing swim up the Titou Gorge. The gorge averages about 5-10 feet wide, with smooth rock walls straight up to the rainforest above. Trees, vines, and flowers all hang precipitously over the edges and you can hear chirping birds mixed with the roar of the waterfall further up the gorge. The water is perfectly clear, and the rocks on the bottom are polished smooth. It was cool and refreshing after the hot, sweaty hike. We swam several hundred feet against a pretty strong current and arrived at a 15-20 foot waterfall rushing down at us. We all took turns climbing up and jumping back in with the waterfall. The swim was just the boost we all needed to make it back to the van.
The next day we hobbled around the boat nursing our sore muscles and reminisced about our fantastic hike. We tried to calculate the energy needed to make the lake boil. But, as it turns out no one has determined how deep the lake currently is, and while I will tell everyone how marvelous the Boiling Lake hike is and I have every intention of returning someday, I will certainly not be the one trying to figure out how deep the lake is.