What?! there is no "After I attmepted the trail I was,...sore" icon?
Ahmad covers the facts as I remember them (see linked report). But here is my take.
I invited my hiking friends to join me on a mid-week hike to Flora lake, a place I'd heard of first when I hiked Greendrop lake in 2003. At that time I thought it sounded too challenging to tackle but in the context of a number of 1000m+ recent hikes, I though it was time. John, Tania, and Ahmad joined me for what hopefully will be the first of many vacation days I take mid-week to see a something like this when the weather is calling.
Though steep at first, I was surprised that the gradient was just at that point where it was not making you question your hobby (hiking). Once on the ridge, the haze was a apparent, but the view still excellent of destinations I intend to see this year (Williamson ridge for example).
I recommed to all that do this trail not to miss the side viewpoint on the ridge before descending to the lake.
Flora lake is scenic and worth swimming in, but make no mistake, your trip is nowhere near over. Many, many rock slopes and boulder fields will slow your overland movement to a near crawl. No map will tell you this, so heed my warning.
As you go North you will connect up with the Greendrop lake trail,...above all of the boulder fields there too, so by the time we got to the car I was pretty tired in the legs, mostly from the 10+ hours of hiking.
4 recommendations.
>Instead of doing Greendrop lake do this trail as it takes you past the best lake also: Lindeman.
>Keep your eyes open for Pikas and other unique critters in the boulder fields, they ARE watching you.
>Start early from Vancouver, and only on a day where the sun goes down later than 9pm.
>Go to Whitespot on the day where they will sell Pirate Paks to adults.
Participants: