08/25/2019
The petrified forest of Clear Lake, Oregon. Follow Reid Adventures to see the video coming soon.
Approximately 3,000 years ago, Mount Adams erupted creating a lava flow, damming up what is now the McKenzie River. The frigid temperatures of the newly created lake, being fed by underground vents, served to preserve the remains of what once was a lush Forest. Here I am marveling at one such example.
Clear Lake is among one of my most challenging and rewarding dives to date. Being lured in by unsurpassed visibility only being countered by the suffering created by temperatures lingering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The first few minutes are almost unbearable until the parts of your body that are exposed such as your lips and cheeks go numb. After reaching that point, we had to limit ourselves to less than a half hour due to our extremities, such as our fingertips, even though protected, began to become painful, which are early signs of frost bite.
Special thanks to Sean McGlothlin and Caleb Brown for braving the elements with me.
