Got out to Lake Janus this weekend for a wet but beautiful hike.  We were originally aiming for Lake Valahalla but took the wrong direction on the PCT and wound up at Janus instead.  The road getting in was very easy to pass with one rough rocky spot that required us to go very slow (we were in a little Honda Fit).  Parking lot was about half full at about 10:30am but we did not run into many hikers our whole trip.  It was raining on and off the entire time but we still got to enjoy gorgeous mountain views and the lake.  There was a meadow with loads of ripe blueberries just before the lake that made an excellent snack before we settled down for lunch.  The trail was very wet but holding up well through all of it.  Very few spots were actually mucky which was really nice given the weather.  Fall colors were just starting to appear in places and should get into full swing in the next couple weeks.

You can pick your hike but you can't pick your weather.  The hike in yesterday had low clouds for the entire day.  Being it's the PCT the trail is in great condition.  We hiked in and set up camp at Lake Janus then day hiked to Grizzly Peak.

The grade isn't bad and once we reached the crest we had views down to meadows as well as Glasses and Heather Lakes.  There are good places to stop and rest along the way.  We made our goal of Grizzly but even on a sunny day the views would be limited from there.

We met many thru hikers and had great conversations; the farthest traveled from Spain.  When we arrived back at camp many had set up nearby and we spent a good part of the evening hearing about their adventures along the way.  Camp Robbers flitted from tree to tree. 

Lake Janus was too shallow for fishing so we packed up early and headed out.  As always the burgers and shakes at Zeke's Drive-In were delicious.

It's Tuesday, which seems to be the least crowded day in the mountains. Several cars in the Smithbrook parking area but most were going to Lake Valhalla. Got a late start so didn't go much past Lake Janus. Beautiful blue sky, no smoke! No bugs! Were about 5 day hikers at lake, one dog. On way out was a party of 4 going in to camp. Trail is in great shape. Sorry, I ate most of the blueberries before the lake but there are lots and lots at the lake, all ripe. This is a very easy-on-the-feet hike as it is mostly soft forest floor - very few rocky or rooty places.

Today was my first time doing this hike and I couldn't have picked a better day for it. For the majority of the time on the hike up to Grizzly Peak, the temperature was cool thanks to the fog. And once I reached Grizzly Peak, the fog started to burn off and I was treated to an abundance of gorgeous views.

Started the hike at the Smithbrook TH. The three-mile FR 9700 is still good overall, but there are a few bumps here and there as well as a fairly rough patch about 1/4 mile from the parking lot. Any vehicle can make it though. And there was plenty of space available in the lot when I arrived...at 4 am. :)

It was slow going to Grizzly due to the fact that I had a hard time keeping the camera in the backpack. The conditions were perfect for a brisk pace, but I took multiple stops to photograph.

The bugs weren't as awful as my last time on the PCT in the Steven's Pass are, but they are still a pain when you stop for a break.

Plenty of wildflowers here and there. The pink mountain heather is becoming a favorite of mine.

There were a lot of berry bushes at different points, but for the most part, it was difficult to find any ripe ones. I did manage to get a couple of salmonberries and a handful of huckleberries on the way back though.

The trail is in great condition, but there are some downed trees here and there. All of them are easy to navigate. There are places with mud or water over the trail, but none of them are significant enough to be a problem. I did end up soaking my shoes and pant legs thanks to all the dew on the plants lining the trail in the areas that were especially foggy. Some of the foggy parts of the trail also had a sprinkling of rain.

I didn't see any people on the way to Grizzly. On the way back was a different story. From Grizzly to the junction of the PCT with Smithbrook, I counted 20 people and one dog. From the junction to the Smithbrook parking lot, there were another 30 people and two more dogs. Judging by the number of cars in the parking lot when I returned and the number of cars on the road, there must have been a lot of people at Valhalla today.

I'm so glad that I had the chance to do this hike today. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

I headed up from the Smithbrook TH to scout my adopted section of the PCT from Janus to Pear Lake for trail work in a few weeks to see what we would be dealing with this year.

This is my 5th time on this section of the PCT and it just gets more beautiful every time (I may be a little biased). Despite all the snow and mud, the trek was not bad, just a little slower than usual.

I started up Wednesday morning about 7:30 am as the only car in the parking lot.  The register told me everyone the week before had gone to Valhalla (and that is a lot of everyone).  Wahoo, first to go north!

Smithbrook was looking okay except for two large trees down and drainage issues.  A few patches of snow at about 4600ft but there were plenty of muddy tracks to follow and then it was bare and dry to Union Gap and the junction with the PCT.

There are a few good sized logs (2.5 and 3 feet diameter) down on the way to Janus Lake but no snow until you get to the lake.  There is, also, a good size root ball blocking the trail about .6 miles from the junction. The large creek is running well and beautiful.  Plenty of little side streams on the trail and mud.  That brushy slope about 1.25 miles from the junction is just as nasty as always, I hope to take care of that this summer.

Camping at Janus appeared to be dried out but the toilet sign was under a few feet of snow. I didn't stay there but a PCT hiker I spoke to claimed it was quite buggy. The inlet crossing on the far side before you head up away from the lake if flowing pretty well and all but one rock was dry leaving a big jump for rock hopping.  Did I mention all the mud?

There are just a few logs down on the way up to the crest above Janus, including one we cut a step in last year and only one tree/rootball combo you really have to negotiate. The trail is dry up the switchbacks until the crest (1.6 miles from Janus).  I say that because although there is a place to wonder off to a small creek, I wouldn't bother because there is plenty of water flowing over the trail once you turn at the saddle and follow the eastern slope towards Grizzly Peak. 

Here is, also, where the snow patches begin.  Nothing serious, but from here to Grizzly Peak there is still plenty of snow on the trail.  There seems to be enough traffic that there are footsteps to follow for most of the time but with this warm weather they are melting fast.  All the beauties were out: Glacier, Labyrinth, Jove, Kodak, Scrabble and Mount David. 

The trail snakes back and forth over the Cascade Crest and most of the saddles had snow so keep an eye out for where the trail takes up on the other side.  The greener slopes are just getting started so there weren't a lot of wildflowers or berries but those trusty avalanche lilies and pink flowers of salmonberries were in abundance.

I walked out on snow to the overlook for Glasses where any residual snow was up on the scree surrounding the lake.  The last set switchbacks up to Grizzly Peak were dry and Rainier, Summit Chief and Iron Cap were out.  The campsites leading up to Grizzly are a bit wet still but the one near the summit was dry.

There were quite a few snow patches on Grizzly but again, plenty of tracks.  You could even do a short glissade on the northern side where it switchbacks down and then across the meadows.  Still a bit early for most wildflowers that make this a gorgeous scene.  Columbia and Sloan stood proud and of course, Glacier.

Most of the sketchiest snow patches are from Grizzly down to Wenatchee Pass, kicking steps and poles are helpful.  The slope is at a greater angle and snow covers more above and below the trail.  PCT hikers headed south were taking advantage of having microspikes and a few boughs hang down to provide veggie belay.  The campsite below the crest is dry but the trail here is arun with water and mud where it isn't covered with snow.

Wenatchee Pass was dried out but there is a log across the trail to the stock camp that would make it pretty difficult to access.  If you didn't fill your bottle with all the water down from the crest, there is a creek flowing next to the trail on the way to the junction with Top Lake if you don't mind a bit of a steep bank on your left. There is one good size tree along this section but climbing over is not a big deal.  Your next water isn't until either Pear or Top Lake depending on your destination.

No real snow from Wenatchee Pass until you pass the junction with Top and start up to Pear.  It won't be anything worse than what you have already done on the slopes.  There is a good size patch on the saddle before you turn to those last few switchbacks and the junction with Meadow Creek Trail that takes you to Pear.

There is some snow still on the trail down to the campsites.  The first large campsite is mostly melted out but wet.  Maybe room for 3 tents and a few hammocks.  The second campsite on the other end is dry but if you want to continue up the Meadow Creek trail to the ridge above expect plenty of snow and a need to know where it turns to the left to reach the trail (not obvious).  The ridge was dry and bare but snow continued on the other side.  Bugs were not bad at the lake but horrible up the scree field. Go figure.

I will note here that the new toilet for the first campsite has seen a little damage and sits at quite an angle sloping downward.  The lid is very hard to open so I played with it a bit to loosen it (but not too much as it leans forward) and left it open while I was there to dry it out the seat from winter.  Also, it is quite visible from the trail but luckily most hikers don't look up.

All and all a great overnight and can't wait to be back out in a few weeks!  Try and stay on the snow as much as possible when navigating the meadows and remember that boots and trailrunners dry while delicate heather takes years to come back.  I even saw a tent pitched in the meadow at Grizzly Peak with a perfectly good campsite empty just a few hundred feet away. Plan you trip so that won't be you!  :)

I hope to have more pictures to attach in a bit but I'm about 4 trip reports behind so we'll see!  Let me know if you have any specific questions.