I read this thread several times before the trip, so I'd like to return the favor with some information.
Headed up on 6/11 from Whitney Portal. Left at 12:30 am. Trail up to Trail Camp is pretty much free of snow. Running water at Trail Camp and at the bottom of the Switchbacks.
Climbed the Chute at 4:00 am. The snow was firm and it was very easy in crampons. The Switchbacks are still filled in with snow but we saw several people take that route.
Trail from Trail Crest has patches of ice on several sections but with some care these can be navigated without a problem.
On the way back, just as we reached Trail Crest @ 12:00, we saw an ice axe and poles scattered on the slope of the Chute. A group that came up said that two guys tumbled down from the very top and ended up in the rocks at the bottom, one of them was hurt badly. We called 911 and reported the fall. Retrieved their axe on the way down but everyone was gone by the time we descended.
As we hiked out, other hikers told us that both were relatively OK. One had a major burn/gash on the leg (we saw a picture) from hitting the rocks and the other had no visible injuries. The backstory to their fall was that they glissaded as a "train" and lost control right away.
All of the people who saw or heard about the fall opted to descend via the Switchbacks and as far as we could tell they did make it down.
The snow was mushy and easy to hike down in the Chute but there are patches of ice in the old glissade paths, so pay attention.
