Lindeman lake first caught my eye on Facebook. I knew the hike overall was quite short, and considering how it was far into the depths of Chilliwack’s wilderness I ranked longer hikes higher in priority. The pictures online looked incredible, and somehow untouched by crowds of people. After some further reading in the 103 Hikes book, I came across the Flora Lake Loop, however, we decided to chop down the loop and only go out to Greendrop Lake.
Arriving at the trailhead at around 9am, cars had already accumulated on both sides indicating the immense number of people that were questing out onto this trail. Despite the large number of cars, it really did not feel like I was sharing the trail with a large crowd. I still remember how cold the rain was on this hike. Any possible article of clothing I had packed I started the hike wearing. Bundled up, with my non waterproof gloved hands tucked into my pockets, the hike began.
The beginning of the trail to Lindeman lake is quite gentle, with a mild incline and some rocks. A log bridge later on is nicely braced with cord railings on either side to offer support for the potential clumsy hiker (me). It isn’t until the final kilometer and a half (approximately) that the hike takes a steep turn and most of the elevation gain is made. Considering the sheer amount of rain, the trail was a bit slippery but not enough to slide down. The final view was wonderful. Before me the lake stretched out in a valley between surrounding mountains. Thankfully the wind had died down by this point, so I was only enduring the furious onslaught of rain.
The trail around Lindeman, wraps closely to the shore, leading across a series of boulders until I reached the other side. From there the trail continues along a rocky path, snaking up inclines before opening up to flat woodlands. Along the path there is another marker forking between Green Drop Lake and Flora Lake, but we successfully took the left hand trail without noticing it. There is something about this winding trail that throws off my sense of direction, the path we took definitely did not feel like it aligned with the maps that I stared at earlier that day. Luckily, the trail is well-maintained and my lack of direction was not an issue.
Embarking on Green Drop lake, we only passed two hikers making their return trip and uncovered that somehow a group of people were enduring the cold to set up camp. The autumn leaves still clung to their branches, and lined the crystal waters of the lake. Our view here was a little more obscured by lower cloud cover adorning the higher peaks. Veering off the path, and across a sandy delta, we sought refuge from the rain on a log sheltered by denser branches. Here we breaked for lunch before making the return trip.