Hiking Mount Lindeman near Chilliwack
Contents
Mount Lindeman Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 16Km
Elevation Gain: 1,400m
Highest Elevation: 2,312m
Average Gradient: 17.50%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes
Scrambling / Exposure: Low class 3 scrambling at the end with fairly consistent use of hands, little to no exposure.
Mount Lindeman Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°02’27.0″N 121°29’58.2″W
Mount Lindeman Overview
Mount Lindeman is the highest peak in Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, and one of the highest peaks accessible from Chilliwack Lake Road. Known for its remote backcountry terrain and stunning views, Mount Lindeman is one of the lesser hiked summits in the region, but is often touted by many as their favorite.
A hike to Mount Lindeman is a rugged, backcountry affair through some unforgiving terrain. The trail can often be overgrown initially, with plenty of mud, creeks, deadfall and generally rough terrain. Eventually you break out of the forest and into a meadow, before a long ascent up a boulder field to the base of the scramble route. The scramble up to the summit is straightforward, low class 3, with fairly consistent use of hands & little to no exposure.
Directly beneath Mount Lindeman are a duo of stunning turquoise glacier lakes, Upper and Lower Hanging Lake. The upper lake is easily accessed from a col beneath the scramble, with the lower lake a much more challenging bushwhack. Much of the lower lake resides in the US and as such few people go there. The upper lake makes for a fantastic spot to camp for anyone wanting to split this hike over a couple of days, and it even makes a great detour either to or from the summit for those looking for a (chilly) swim on a hot summer day. If you intend to go down to the lake you’ll need to add around 1.5km and 160m elevation gain to the stats above.
Access to Mount Lindeman is via Center Creek FSR, which is typically only accessible for high clearance vehicles due to numerous deep cross ditches. Like many logging roads, the status of this FSR depends entirely on logging activities, with no guarantee this hike will always be driveable. As such it’s advised to “get it while it’s good”.
Mount Lindeman is typically a summer only hike due to the higher starting point (900m) and the steep scramble to the summit. Early in the summer snow will quite likely cover much of the trail and the scramble itself, in which case an ice axe and crampons would be recommended for a safe summit. Also, Upper Hanging Lake typically only thaws in mid summer, and since this is one of the highlights of the hike it’s strongly advised to wait until then to hike Mount Lindeman. With that said the ideal timing is likely mid-July to mid-October, give or take a few weeks either side depending on the year’s weather.
Dogs are allowed on Mount Lindeman, but due to the amount of boulder hopping this hike requires it would likely be better to leave the dog at home.
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Is Mount Lindeman worthwhile?
Mount Lindeman is a rugged, adventurous hike through some challenging PNW forest. The whole hike up to the meadow (5km) is quite rough, so an adventurous spirit and some patience is a must. Beyond the meadow the remainder of the hike is mostly on boulders with little in the way of markers to guide you. The views as you climb up this boulder field continually improve, until you reach the jaw dropping view of Upper Hanging Lake at a col before the scramble begins. The views from here on out are stunning, leaving you with one of the most remote feelings you will have anywhere near Chilliwack. Overall Mount Lindeman is a truly beautiful summit, with the lake below a worthy trip in itself.
How difficult is the hike to Mount Lindeman?
At 16km and 1,400m elevation gain there’s no doubt Mount Lindeman is a difficult hike, however the terrain is technical enough that it will slow most people down to a moderate pace. This hike will likely take longer than you might expect because of this.
Technically the hike is fairly straightforward. While the terrain up to the meadows is certainly rugged and often overgrown, there is nothing particularly technical about it. Once in the meadows you’ll begin clambering over boulders and working towards a narrow outflow next to a waterfall. The trail here is quite steep and narrow but should be simple for most parties. From then on you’re hopping along boulders through a wide open valley working towards a col beneath Mount Lindeman and above Upper Hanging Lake. From this col you will see the scramble up to the summit. The route steepens as you’ll begin climbing up the boulder field, requiring fairly consistent use of hands throughout. The scramble is straightforward, and while steep there is little exposure and most parties should manage just fine.
Mount Lindeman Route Information
The trailhead for Mount Lindeman is towards the end of Center Creek FSR, which can be accessed off of Chilliwack Lake Road. The status of this FSR varies depending on logging operations, but even at the best of times the road is typically rough, with numerous cross ditches likely requiring a high clearance vehicle.
From the end of the FSR, before it begins zigzagging steeply uphill, you’ll want to pay attention to your map for a trail leading into the forest. There is no signage and the trail is so rough from washouts you might mistake it for a creekbed. The first several hundred meters follow this heavily rutted route, and at times there very well could be a creek running directly along much of it, especially in early summer when runoff is high. Waterproof boots are very much recommended.
Over the next 3km the terrain varies from extremely rough, washed out, overgrown and muddy sections, to spacious, dry and smooth hiking. You’ll pass by a couple of significant landslides from the 2021 floods that devastated the Fraser Valley, and most likely you’ll be navigating a few creeks coming off of the Mount Corriveau ridge in the process. Maintenance of this trail is entirely volunteer based, with rumors that trail maintenance has been discouraged by official parties (possibly because the hike ultimately ends up in a provincial park). As such maintenance has been few and far between, with nature trying to reclaim sections of the trail over time. Still, it’s not difficult to follow the route and thanks to many people hiking it over the years it still maintains a semblance of normality, though patience is likely required. Thankfully this 3km stretch is a very mellow gradient so while the terrain is rough, the physical difficulty is straightforward. You’ll also have some nice viewpoints of Mount Rexford and the numerous peaks along its ridge.
After this 3km stretch you’ll have only gained around 150m, but now things turn up a level. You’ll reach a sizable creek with the trail now turning left up the steep forested slopes. Over the next 1.5km you’ll climb around 350m, most of which is far more pleasant terrain but there will still be the odd sections of blowdown and mud to navigate. You’ll reach a log bridge leading over a fairly large creek and in just a few hundred meters you’ll be out of the rough terrain and find yourself at a meadow. You’ll now be able to see Mount Lindeman in the distance
From the meadows you should easily spot a trail leading to some boulders. You’ll want to climb over these boulders, following the flagging tape should there be any left. The route is obvious despite there no longer being a trail to follow. You’ll soon begin climbing up a combination of boulders, dirt and heather, keeping south of a creek flowing down from the valley you’ll soon be climbing up.
Continuing along this section, the route will often be dotted with flagging tape and cairns for the time being as the trail approaches a narrow, steep section with a ridge on one side and the creek on the other. The trail is simple to follow here as steps have formed in the dirt over the years.
Once you reach the top of this steep, narrow, creek adjacent stretch you’ll find yourself in a vast, spacious boulder field leading through a valley. In the early summer there very well could be snow patches remaining in this valley, though the gradient isn’t really steep enough to cause much of an issue in your travel. The next kilometer will be hopping across boulders (or snow) through this valley, with an obvious direction towards a col at the end. It’s now a “pick your own path” and you can’t really go wrong so just continue ascending towards this col.
Soon enough you’ll reach the col where you’ll now see the stunning Upper Hanging Lake below, hopefully you timed it so the lake isn’t still snowed over. Assuming you are not going to the lake just yet (if ever) you’ll want to focus your attention to the steep boulder field to your east that leads up to Mount Lindeman. You can’t really see the true summit from down here but you should see the general route.
You’ll now want to refer to your map for a general guideline as to the route to the top, but for the most part you can pick your own path. Often in the early to mid summer there will be snow patches along the “official” route, at least at the beginning, so you may need to work around them (or, if you’re equipped for it, ascend them). The boulder field here is much steeper than in the valley, requiring frequent use of hands as you climb up. There is never any real exposure though and most people won’t feel uncomfortable at any point on the scramble.
As you near the top the boulders actually give way somewhat, to a fairly obvious dirt trail that has been formed over the years. The route is quite obvious once you get onto it and it’s simply just a case of following it up. Again, you can pick your own way in places but if you prefer following a worn path, there is one there.
Once you reach the summit you’ll note a couple of cairns. The views the whole way up have been breathtaking, with amazing views of Slesse Mountain, Mount Rexford, Mount Baker, the Border Peaks, Mount Larrabee, Mount Webb, MacDonald Peak, Mount Shuksan, Middle Peak and all the peaks on the other side of Chilliwack Lake. The main event though is really Upper Hanging Lake, and if you scramble around the ridge a little bit you should get some nice views of Lower Hanging Lake as well.
After you’re done at the top you head back the way you came, and once you reach the col you can then decide whether to head down to Upper Hanging Lake. It’s around 160m below at this point and some people are tired and opt to just leave it. If you do decide to head down the trail isn’t really defined but it is quite straightforward if you refer to your map. I’d budget an hour or so to head down and back up, longer if you plan to spend a while at the lake.
Once you’re done at the lake, or if you didn’t choose to go, you simply hike out the way you came in.
When should I hike Mount Lindeman?
As noted Mount Lindeman is a summer only hike best left for when the snow has predominantly melted. If you want to see Upper Hanging Lake fully thawed you may even have to wait until late July or August thanks to its 1,900m elevation. Generally the prime season for Lindeman is likely around mid-July to mid-October, give or take a couple of weeks.
Top Tip
You’ll probably want to wear waterproof boots for this, especially in the early to mid summer, as the trail is muddy and you’ll potentially be hiking through some creeks.
Wait until Upper Hanging Lake is thawed before hiking this, to be safe that could mean waiting until August.
