Boiling Lake Fail....

So we didn't get to hike Boiling Lake yesterday. It turns out that Tropical Storm Erika dumped way too much rain on the mountains. The trail to the lake starts at Titou Gorge, and the volume of water was absolutely SHOCKING. The water in the gorge is used for electricity, and the grates that normally protect swimmers from being swept through the tubes into the turbines had been washed away. There were signs of a recent flash flood (there were debris and water damage about ten feet HIGHER than the already high water). The power of the water was terrifying.

The trouble started even before we reached the trailhead though. The force of the water running down the sides of the mountains had washed away large portions of the road, which meant that we had to take several long detours and drive very slowly. The roads were AWFUL. So we already had a late start, on one of the two hikes that you should never, ever have a late start on in Dominica. That made us all a bit nervous (as did the idea that while we were hiking the roads could be washed out MORE which would've trapped us on the mountain overnight).

Ryan and I were supposed to act as guides for Jen and Neil and Jen's sister and her husband, Jess and Dan. But as soon as we saw Titou Gorge and then looked up the trail (which resembled a waterfall tumbling down a flight of stairs) we knew that it would not be safe to attempt a 6-8 hour hike. There was also some thunder and lightening, and since we would have had to hike several miles along a ridge, that would be dangerous as well. We could have tried to hike to the first river to see what it looked like. But Ryan and I knew that Breakfast River (the first one) was the easiest of the river crossings. There would be several more crossings, including one in the Valley of Desolation. If the water volume was that high on a mountain- how high would it be in a valley? Part of the hike in the Valley was along a river, and we weren't sure if that would be safe. The Breakfast River was only about an hour in, so we thought about trying to hike to reach it, but we decided not to risk it. Crossing an overflowing river is dangerous, no matter where you are. In a rainforest on a volcano with frequent rapids and waterfalls... well, that's a good way to drown if you slip and fall.

So Boiling Lake did not happen. Instead of hiking, we explored Titou Gorge a bit and marveled at the water flowing through it and down the trail. A whole new waterfall had formed INTO the gorge, which was impressive. The whole trail was flooded and it was raining- we were glad to have our rain coats! We headed back to the car and met a friendly little kitten. He was adorable, but he was also well feed and friendly, so I'm sure he lived in the nearby village. He was a very sad kitten and was hiding from the rain in one of the hiking shelters. Poor little boy didn't want to get wet! We also took some photos in the village of Laudat on the the way down. Some local apparently didn't like the 'chemical' (ie-water) pipe that Domlec (Dominica's power company) built running down the mountain from Freshwater Lake and Titou Gorge.

After we managed to drive off the mountain (yay, the roads weren't washed out!) we headed to Screw's Spa to enjoy soaking in the hot sulfur springs. Neil had never been, and of course Jess and Dan hadn't been there. It was a fun way to relax, although we were all a bit disappointed not to be able to hike. None of us wanted to be "those idiots who drowned trying to hike Boiling Lake after a storm" so we think we made the right choice. People have died trying to hike Boiling Lake, so it's not a hike to mess around with!

After the spa we headed into Roseau for lunch at the Garage, which was pretty good. It's a bar and grill in an old ruined building with, of course, an auto parts store below it! The Garage is a fun spot to eat, with televisions set to sports games on all the walls (we don't understand cricket at ALL) and open windows to the street. There are shutters to allow the owners to look up at night! The food was very good and very reasonable. It wasn't as nice as Red Rock, but we did have fun. We ran a few errands afterwards and then returned home to meet up with Rowdy's owners. They'd been delayed in Puerto Rico because of the storm and were very happy to finally see him! They were stuck in Puerto Rico for two nights.

Here are some photos of our day!