I chose to take my dog, Luna, on a hike to Lindeman Lake, this sunny sunday afternoon and I must say, it took me longer to drive to the starting point of the hike (minutes west of the entrance to Chilliwack Lake Campgrounds) than it did to actually hike to the top of the trail.

Never underestimate the foot-traffic at any provincial park in mid-July, and those expectations did not disappoint, as I greeted and was greeted by dozens of people coming down as I was on my way up. Sadly, I saw nothing to indicate any "wildlife" even existed, for my keen birdwatching skills only caught sight of one lonely robin and, later, a varied thrush (very much the same bird).

People, they ruin everything.

I can say, however, that woodpeckers and sapsuckers left evidence of their passing on many fallen logs in the area, most were perforated so much it seemed the holes may have cause the trees to fall in the first place.

The water tumbling down Post Creek is as clear as water can be, coursing through thick slabs of granite and sprinkling soft, grey sand in pools down and throughout the hike. It tasted clean, as one would expect, but with a tang I couldn't describe, having grown up on the cleanest waters in the world.

A pretty girl I had passed on the way up, she and three friends were taking a breather, asked me many questions about Luna, and she proved quite knowledgable about Schnauzers and dogs in general. Later, in casual conversation I learned she worked at a Vet Clinic. Yeah, I'm hot and I have a cute dog. Kills two birds with one stone. With a wink and a smile, and the sunlight glinting off my wedding ring, I leave them to go and enjoy the lake.

I wrote a poem once, and the first line came to my mind after that conversation: "Cheap talk, like water flowing."

The lake itself is a delight; turqoise blue and as still as glass. Boulders, long-since remnants of a land-slide, dip into the waters here and there, and it was on these rocky inclines I was hoping to catch sight of shy, resident pikas, such as those found on the remnants of the Hope Slide. Of course, Luna hindered any sightings. Oh yeah, so did all the friggin' people. lol

The balsam's were decorated almost festively with ochre Witches Hair moss, and piles of eaten pinecones littered the ground near where several campers were enjoying themselves in the sun. They were European tourists, from their accents, and to my surprise they started swimming naked before my, and several other bewildered sets of, eyes.

It might not have been so awkward had any ladies been present among them, but a school of pint-sized Ogopogo`s was hardly what anyone had been hoping to catch a glimpse of this sunny, summer afternoon.
The hike back down was even more entertaining because I chose not to disclose information about the nudes to the passersby coming up. lol

Overall, I would rate this hike as EASY, taking me less than two hours round trip, although I might have lingered or even gone as far as Greendrop Lake (45mins past Lindeman) if not for the young men who felt as though they had nothing to be ashamed of. I, on the other hand, knew before coming that the water was gonna be cold. Apparantly, it was freezing.