Well for the first time ever I turned around before I got to the top...

Trailhead is easy to get to. The steepness kicks in from the first step! Good workout but oh my, not for the faint of heart. I love a good climb :-)

So, I was sad to turnaround when I got about 1.5m in to an area that is clear of trees, and thus very overgrown. The overgrowth area keeps going... and going... the overgrowth plus the heat plus the black flies that descended as soon as I came out of the trees... I couldn't take it!! Is this area less overgrown at other times of the year? or is it always like this?  I guess I'm a wimp. Maybe I'll try again when it's cooler out.

Rest of the trail is mostly fine, but several logs across the trail that require climbing over at various spots.

Bears. There were 6. Mama bear and 2 cubs hanging out on trail at lake. Two large males hanging out on trail in meadow.

What an incredible hike! When the destination is in a national park, you know it's going to be good. We were blown away by Monogram Lake. You can do this hike with any vehicle - there's no forest road to drive down (you'll pay for that in all of the elevation you'll gain)! Departed the trailhead at 9:15am on a Sunday, only three other cars there; we later learned that two of them were from backpackers staying at the lake, and one was a day hiker that left a little before us headed for the lookout. The description on the WTA listing / North Cascades day hiking book are pretty spot on... this trail goes straight up! On a cold(ish) and occasionally wet day, our rain jackets and hats only lasted half a mile before we peeled them off. You'll work up a sweat! You've got three sections of this trail before the junction (for the lake vs. lookout): straight-up beautiful mossy forest, overgrown hot mess, and not mossy forest. The overgrown section of the trail (about 1.5 miles in) had us stopping to see if we were still on the trail! At the junction, we took the right toward Monogram Lake. Shortly after we entered the national park, we encountered a very active bee's nest on the trail (literally). We scooted our way around it through some hearty forest. Shortly thereafter, we broke out into a GORGEOUS meadow with views of Lookout Mountain. Climbing more, we reached our peak elevation for this trail, and glimpses of the Cascade River valley, Snowking Mountain, and Eldorado when the clouds parted. We had sun, rain, clouds, and even some frozen precip on the way down to the lake, all while enjoying the stunning fall colors! Encountered two large (and not at all shy) bucks at a distance on the way down to the lake. Monogram was a gorgeous sight, with great campsites and a serene atmosphere, that was the perfect locale for our late lunch. Took about five hours to reach the lake including some breaks. Venturing back from Monogram Lake, we encountered our two bucks again... this time up close and personal! We were no more than 30 feet from these beautiful beasts. A half mile later (no more than a quarter mile from the "top" of the trail) we spotted a hefty black bear! He was about 75 feet away at first sight, and after alerting my hiking partner of our new friend, he was quickly 100 feet further away in an instant. Definitely more scared of us than we were of him! We sang and clapped our way from one meadow down to the other, and entered the forest again. After encountering one other day hiker, we reached the car at 5:30pm (one of only two at the TH). Overall, a spectacular hike! I was sore for the days following this one, but well worth it for the incredible views, and wildlife encounter. I can only imagine what this would be like on a clearer day! I'll have to return to Lookout Mountain to see... :)