i just wanted to share my recent experience climbing mt. whitney. i hiked it with a friend, from may 19th-21st. the weather was perfect. we camped at trail camp on the night of the 19th, hiked to the summit on the 20th, and descended on the 21st. the switchbacks were mostly clear, the only hazardous parts were at the cables, and the switchback at the very top, which is still mostly covered in snow. there is also a lot of snow from trail crest to the summit, but it's very manageable.
i didn't use crampons or ice axe. i had a new pair of hiking shoes, and poles, which seemed to be sufficient for the majority of the hike. some sort of extra traction would have been really nice for the couple of spots i mentioned before. my hiking partner had microspikes, which she found really useful. this was also her first time backpacking!
i imagine with as fast as the snow is melting, conditions will be different from day to day for the next few weeks. i would guess that by mid june, there will be no snow left on the trail, barring another snowstorm.
