Thanks guys I really appreciate the advice and hope there is more to follow. I would be interested in any other areas that you think will be troublesome.
"Troublesome" kinda depends on your level of experience. Your concerns about marmots and bear cans are nothing compared to the steep icy slopes you'll be facing in early May. The backside of Whitney will also be dicey between the summit plateau and Trail Crest. The 99 switchbacks down from there will also be icey and dicey in spots as well, especially near the chains. This is all doable for someone experienced in winter mountaineering with proper equipment and knowledge, but we should be warning you if you're talking microspikes and marmots. People die doing this stuff so we should not be cheering you on blindly. Can you tell us a little more about your winter mountaineering experience outside Florida to calibrate our perspective.
I'm thinking you just need to rethink your start date to make this a great trip instead of a miserable epic undertaking that could lead to an undesirable outcome.
