Here are pictures from last May 26, 2013. We went up the chute, and down the switchbacks, and the pictures are in chronological order. I hear that even though this is a lower snow year overall, there is more snow at higher elevations in the Sierra.
Nice snow chute to climb, instead of the switchbacks. But snow deteriorated quickly (e.g., by 9 a.m.).
Summit snow field. This was relatively trivial to cross.
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View of the 99 switchbacks. Doesn't look snowy? Think again. A few switchbacks were totally snowed/iced in.
Here is what the cables looked like last year on May 26. Relatively doable. But the day before, there were a number of rescues here and above the cables on some other switchbacks that were snowed in and iced over.
As we descended, we heard reports of additional rescues and injuries, including one woman who fell at some point on the trail and hit her head.
Not saying don't do it. Just saying that even in a low snow year, Memorial Day can still be technical, and/or that having proper tools and knowing how to use them may still apply. And just because 30 people may say they did it in flip flops and lived doesn't mean it is safe. Two weeks might, or might not, make a difference.
