Lake Janus and Grizzly Peak, Lake Valhalla — Monday, Jun. 30, 2025

We had hiked to Valhalla with a group two days ago, so we thought we would try Janus for a shakeout backpack.

From the intersection with the PCT, the trail descends gradually but continually to Janus, so it sits several hundred feet lower than Valhalla. This should have been a clue. By the time we got within half a mile of the lake, the mosquitoes were a terrible swarm.

We immediately headed back up hill and made it to Valhalla just before dark. Two other groups were camping in the best sites, so we wedged in where we could. A pair of high school boys were nearby, had started a fire, and talked loudly until midnight. Bugs were annoying but not terrible.

Despite all of that, it was a good trip. We checked off the first overnight of the year and woke up to a gorgeous morning with the lake to ourselves.