Mt Whitney Zone Forums Thread Like Summary - June 27?

We won a permit for June 27. I wasn't the primary person picking dates so I didn't get a chance to speak up about snowfall this year.

On average, when do the switchbacks open for hiking? We won't do the hike if the chute is the only option. We don't have mountaineering experience with ice axes, etc. Microspikes, we can do. Beyond that would be above our comfort zone.

Is there a specific site to see snow conditions for Whitney specifically? Such as how high the snow in relation to elevation? Thank you!

Now. There will be snow. I did a trip on a low snow year in mid May - and there are always iffy portions. This year, you can guarantee the iffy portions will be more frequent and severe. Personally, I would not, will not enter the whitney zone without helmet, axe, spikes this year, until late summer. You may only need this gear for 100yds of the trail, but trust me, I have turned around over these 100yds because I didnt have the tools. Travel safely. Summiting is optional, descending is mandatory. -805

I think most people would call those microspikes, not crampons.

MICROspikes are not "all the needed gear". Bring real crampons.

Who issued these new guidelines superseding decades of sound advice? Wearing crampons while glissading isn’t a clever innovation that the authors of Freedom of the Hills were too dumb to think of. It’s an unsafe practice that mountaineers learned not to do decades ago. If you catch a crampon point on the snow or ice, you can easily snap an ankle or tumble ass over teakettle down the mountain. If you can’t hike out, you could conceivably spend your last night waiting for a rescue that turns into a recovery. This kind of misinformation could get someone seriously injured. Never wear crampons while glissading!

If the snow isn’t too steep or icy, you know how to glissade safely, there are no hidden rocks, and you don’t care about damaging your pants or getting soaking wet, feel free to take off your crampons and glissade. Otherwise, just walk down the mountain. This is much safer than glissading and almost as fast.

Glissading is already a weird move, but wearing crampons while doing it is a recipe for disaster IMO. Because what happens when, due to the forward motion and speed, one of the crampons catches and stops, while your body is still moving forward; knees, ankles, etc. Freedom of the hills has been updated a million times and isn't that outdated when it comes to first principles.

As far as the main poster, and like 805 said, be prepared, not sure if I would be going up there this time of year with no snow experience, considering the year we had. I am not saying it cant be done, but you will need some once you get to the switchbacks (and even earlier) considering most of the mountain is still snow. Maybe I' am wrong, but with all the snow we had its not currently just a "hike" up there.