I'm in SD, if you want to grab a beer/coffee and chat about your plans/gear, I'd be happy to share my experiences on Whitney. Trail camp is only 1000 feet higher that gorgonio summit, and this won't be a winter climb. There will be snow (not a ton), but winter is colder and has shorter days. Look for Richard P's regular reports/pictures on either this or the other Whitney board - he mostly does the main trail and takes a ton of shots to show the conditions.
http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/
