Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Help with Mt. Whitney conditions in April.

Look at a map of the area. Once you get to Consultation Lake, it is almost impossible to get lost. The main chute you would be heading up is always in sight. From Trail Crest in April, the entire +2 mile traverse to Whitney's summit would probably look like the picture above. If you can't self arrest in time/at all, it's over a thousand feet to bottom of the West Side.

EDIT: I know you said you were looking at the main trail, but when most of the mountain is covered in snow, I'd take the MR. It's direct and shorter, you have good reference points always in view, and I'd rather skip the traverse on the West Side.