This trail was everything and more. It took us about 4 hours to get up and 3 hours to get down but we stopped a bit along the way foraging for berries and just taking our time. Don't get me wrong, this trail is no joke. There are a couple of scrambles such as the notorious "Head Wall" to tackle. Right now there is a rope on part of the trail which I used but was cautious about it as well.
It is a gradual but consistent increase for the first mile and a half to get you warmed up but once you hit the end of the forest road and see the sign "Lake of the Angels 2.0 miles", be ready for that incline. The views along the way are spectacular and you see Mount Pershing basically the whole route. Wildflowers are not at their prime on the way but at the lake are at their peak but not for long.
Once you get over the head wall and cross over to the Pond of False Prophet it seems a lot of people get lost at this point. We passed a couple groups who were on the way down who had gotten lost and one gal didn't even make it to the lake. We used the Gaia app (it's free) to help navigate us but a trip report I had read previously also helped. Once you hit the pond go right and then take a left over the creek crossing a little log bridge. From that point follow the trail around and up a little hill then take a right back down crossing the creek again. Once you do that you should be pretty good on following the trail one last hard push to the Valley of Heaven.
And I have to say the name speaks for itself. It is by far worth the jaunt through hell to get here. Along the way, we had the pleasure of snacking on huckleberries, Oregon grape and a ton of blueberries. The lake is gorgeous. We fished (catch and release with barbless hooks) and caught at least 15 little cutthroat trout. Saw a sweet mama and baby goat jaunt around in the basin and on the way up a lot of grouse. A few of us jumped in the lake and it felt amazing. All around a great day. We will definitely be back.
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