Laura, I was thinking of you when the post-holing got really bad just above Iceberg Lake on the way up. Fortunately, the bad stuff only lasted about 100 yards.
Steve, there is a big difference between leaving gear behind and bringing it but not using it. The snow was fairly soft and there were tracks up the MR chute. Carine, Rob, and I all went up without using our crampons. Rob used his axe a little, while Carine and I just used ski poles. On the way down, I used crampons because I had a new pair I wanted to try out. Carine and Rob just plunge-stepped down with ski poles and bare boots. It's not rocket science, but you do need stiff boots and good technique to do this safely. One screw-up can get you on the evening news.
There is still a lot of unavoidable snow, and it can get treacherous when the temperatures drop. Many people may be able to get up and back down safely without using crampons and an axe, but leaving this gear at home is a really dumb idea, at least for the next couple of weeks. We weren't on the main trail, but there is still plenty of snow over there. The conditions (and the need to bring crampons and axes) are probably about the same.
