This forum was invaluable to me as I was planning my Whitney trip, and now it is my turn to contribute.
I summitted on Monday June 15 at noon. I started at 3 am from Whitney Portal. I was planning on hiking to the summit, then descending mountaineers and overnighting at Upper Boyscout lake. By the time we reached Trail Camp, my partner decided it would be too strenuous to summit with all our overnight gear, so we dropped our tent and sleeping bags at trail camp and continued to the top with day packs.
Conditions: Little snow and ice on switchbacks until the cables. From there, there were a few very, and I repeat very, sketchy switchbacks with ice. This was about 8-9 in the morning. There were spots of ice and snow toward the top of the switchbacks, but not as bad as the cables area. The trail from Trail Crest to about the needle closest to Whitney requires extreme caution. There is a ton of ice and snow, and microspikes or crampons are required. People were crossing with YakTraks and boots, but this was dangerous. Hiking poles are also a must on this section. The last stretch to the summit had snow, but it was much more navigable than the first part from Trail Crest.
Down from the summit, a lot of the snow and ice was melting, which allowed for better traction in areas. While it was more slippery, it was easier to dig your feet in. A lot of the snow on the switchbacks had melted by 3 pm, which meant there was a lot of water running down the trail.
The weather was perfect yesterday, which allowed people to summit all day long.
I have images, but do not think I can post them from my iPhone. I will try and upload them later.
Good luck everyone. Bring all necessary gear. Get an early start. And be cautious and aware at all times.
Please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors, as this message was sent from my iPhone.
