Hey Everyone,
Firstly, HUGE thanks to everyone here -- this forum has been immensely helpful in my research and putting together our group's plans.
We are a group of four planning to dayhike the MR on Sunday 6/19. Two of us have successfully made the summit via a summer dayhike on the Main Trail; the other two are strong hikers but only have limited high altitude hiking experience (White Mountain Peak). We all have casual climbing experience from the local climbing gym; none of us have experience with crampons & ice axe.
Our plan is to camp near the top of Sonora Pass (~9,600') on Friday night, do a warmup hike around the area on Saturday, and then camp at Onion Valley (~9,600') the night before the MR climb.
I've done quite a bit of research and feel fairly confident about the route (as much as one can, having not done it) but I'm less certain about the conditions.
-What snow/ice conditions should we expect around 6/19? Will crampons and ice axe be necessary? Recommended?
-How does snow/ice affect the Final 400? We won't have rope or other equipment.
-If we decide to ascend and/or descend via the Main Trail, do we need different permits?
Any other pointers are greatly appreciated! Thanks!
