I’m glad to hear this response. I’m a fairly experienced backpacker but have 0 experience in the snow. I’m headed up with my dad on June 16 and will have all the needed gear: micro spikes, axe, etc.
Everyone seems to make it sound extremely perilous but from the videos I’ve seen and posts I’ve read it sounds reasonably safe. The chute sounds like a drag but with an axe it shouldn’t be dangerous. Just slow and hard. Might need to learn to glissade though ????
Sounds like you won the lottery. Score! However, i think you need to think with your head and not your heart. Watching videos on how to glissade on youtube is not going to help you at 11,500 feet if you need to actually perform. And is your dad ready for that challenge? Whitney and the sierra's in general are going to pose so many problems this year, from snow, to avalanches, river crossings, etc. And lets be honest, June 16? That area is going to be buried in snow until mid-July at the earliest. June 16th is cutting it close for snow on the trails in a normal year. I don't want to rain on your parade. My Whitney permit was cancelled when there was a fire above the portal a few years ago. I know the feeling. Just be smart. Good luck!
I watched this video the other day. It is the Mountaineer's Route, but you get the point in how much snow is up there.
https://youtu.be/tfK7GL6tHcE
