June 6, 2009, - Cannon Mt audible Colchuck area

Rob and I drove up Rd 7601 and slept in the parking lot Monday night with plans of heading up Cannon Mt. We awoke at 5am to a dispiriting lack of snow on the peaks around us.  Although we questioned not bringing the skis/snowboard at all, I maintained that we had to bring them with us "just in case" we found snow. Rob the consummate liberal coined my plan "The Audacity of Hope."
We started out looking for an opportunity to jump off the Stuart Creek Trail and beginning bushwacking our way up Cannon Mt. We never found it. Seriously how do you get there? I guess we should've read the guidebook more closely.
We were catching glimpses of snow in the peaks to the south, so we called an audible and decided to continue the trail Colchuck Lake and see what we found. In addition to amazing views, lo and behold we found snow about Colchuck Lake. There was little to no snow in what we think was Aasgard Pass, but there was a great line down from a saddle between what I think was Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Peak (feel free to look at the pics and correct me). Looking at the map, I think this was Colchuck Glacier.  It was due south (magnetic) of Colchuck Lake.
Anyway, here are the useful details: No skiable snow below Colchuck Lake. Very soft snow below 6500' and great snow above.  I headed up the pass around noonish and the snow was hard enough that I was glad to be wearing hard ski boots. I'd recommend crampons to anyone with softer shoes or climbers.  The chutes were holding snow - but very little.
Anyway, beautiful day and despite hours of hiking for 15mins of skiing a great cap to my winter (I won't be able to get any summer turns).