Submitted by Austin Gray on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…
Today was easily the most anticipated day of our trip: the hike to Boiling Lake.
Throughout our first two weeks here, we were constantly told by locals and tour guides that the Boiling Lake hike was a challenging and strenuous hike. Upon researching it for myself, many of the reviews said the same, even from avid hikers! For context, the Boiling Lake is a flooded fumarole – an opening in the Earth’s crust that emits fumes and gases. This fumarole sits on top of a magma chamber, from which gases escape. Rainfall and surrounding streams replenish the lake, which is heated to boiling point as the water seeps down into the chamber.
This hike was unlike anything I’ve ever done. I’ve done plenty of hiking back in the United States, but never before have I climbed through the rainforest and up mountains to cross through sulfur springs and hot pools, only to see direct evidence of Earth’s natural processes. So often, we learn about these concepts only from textbooks and in classes. Today, I was able to experience some of those concepts first-hand, and I’m still unable to fully process how magnificent it was.
