Proposed: Lindeman-Greendrop-Flora Lakes Pocket Wilderness
Parks Branch preservation proposal or Forest Service logging proposal? ... Greendrop Lake in the Chilliwack valley faces an uncertain future. Photo credit: Sherri Foy
Description
The Lindeman-Flora-Greendrop Pocket Wilderness is the most well used of the 20 Pocket Wildernesses high-lighted in this newspaper. Three fish filled Lakes, two trails, room to roam and an excellent road right to the trail-head are some of the reasons for this area's great popularity. The main trail (recently upgraded under the super-vision of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC) winds through virgin forest of different tree size, type and age. An hour of easy hiking, well suited to young families, brings you to trout-dimpled Lindeman Lake. Parties looking for a longer hike may continue along the well cleared and marked trail for another two hours to Greendrop Lake. This well built trail is an excellent way to experience the west coast jungle, without actually getting into hand-to-bush combat.
A second trail, for experienced hikers only, starts at the Chilliwack River Road and enters the Pocket Wilderness the hard way -up and over. Starting above the northwest corner of Chilliwack Lake, it zigzags up the slope to alpine country above Flora Lake. If you stare really hard you can just make out the fish leaping in the remote little lake below. A map, compass and back country know-how are mandatory for this trip. You have to navigate to the lake; the trail doesn't go all the way.
Lindeman-Flora-Greendrop Pocket Wilderness is a good choice for just about all types of wild country seekers, from young families on a day trip, to back country adventurers on safari. So,it may come as a surprise to hear that this Pocket Wilderness is threatened by logging. Chilliwack District Forest Service Office has logging plans on their map that show large clearcuts along the slopes above Greendrop Lake planned for 1989. If such logging were carried out it would destroy the best stands of old growth forest, degrade the wilderness quality, and create more pressure to log even deeper into this special wilderness retreat. The B.C. Parks Branch has submitted a park proposal that would protect this entire Pocket Wilderness, but the Forest Service is ignoring it. The Lindeman-Flora-Greendrop Pocket Wilderness proposal needs public support now to convince the B.C. government to accept the park proposal and reject the logging proposal. If you are one of the thousands who visit this area every year, please help save it now.
Access
From Vedder Crossing, drive along the Chilliwack River road (paved most of the way, good gravel the rest) for about 24 miles, which is one mile short of Chilliwack Lake. Look for the sign that marks Post Creek Forest Service Recreation Site. Park your car at the side of the road and walk down to the picnic tables beside Post Creek. The main trail into the Pocket Wilderness is well marked, and follows Post Creek. About one mile further down the Chilliwack River road, just above the north west corner of Chilliwack Lake a second trail (for experienced hikers only) heads up to alpine country above Flora Lake.
Click on map to enlarge.
