Hi Folks,
So I just did the Mt. Whitney Trail on Wednesday May 5th and thought I'd let you all know what the trail/snow conditions are like.
Overall the trail was in great shape below 11,000 ft there is very little snow and its smooth sailing. Above 11,000 ft you start to run into patchy snow that was very soft and slushy by mid day. It was rather warm the whole day I started at 3am and wore shorts and a puffy for a majority of the hike. I chose to go up the switchbacks and this was the right call, there are sections that are a little sketchy but I was able to do the whole section just using micro spikes and my ice axe, crampons would be overkill for a lot of it and would only really be needed for a tiny section on the last switchback if you are less stable. I went through the switch backs early in the morning when the snow was still hard which made it much easier, the snow softened up fast which makes it much easier to slip so be careful later in the day. I highly recommend taking the switchbacks over the chute going up especially if you attempt later in the day. By 11am the chute was a slushy mess and was not safe to ascend even with crampons and an Ice axe. After trail crest I didn't use spikes at all there are a few patches of snow here and there but overall it was clear.
On the way down I chose to glissade down the chute instead of the switchbacks. By this point (12pm) the snow had really softened up and the chute was in good conditions to glissade down. There were a few sections with exposed rocks so be sure to take it slow if you do chose to glissade down. Also, please only chose to glissade if you have experiance using an ice axe and could self arrest if needed, this section is very steep and its easy to get a lot of speed especially if the snow is hard.
Overall its an amazing hike and conditions are great for this time of year!
Happy trails!
