I'll be up there this weekend. I have a cottonwood lakes permit but might opt to go the back way over cottonwood pass. Will probably make the decision after I talk to the rangers and fellow hikers Saturday morning.
Make sure you talk to a Ranger or fellow hikers who are familiar with current conditions and can assess your level of skill. It's been my experience that desk Rangers will usually try to scare anybody out of doing almost anything. It's understandable, but their paranoia can turn into your missed opportunity.
Be safe, have fun.
I'll second this and cite two examples.
I was told there was about 10' of snow on the road from Sierra View to Schulman Grove in the White Mountain...the road was dry to the Visitor Center
We were told Cottonwood Pass was impassable but there was only about 50' of snow at the top of the pass that had post holes its whole length...we never had to pull out the tools.
Cottonwood Pass has a "back door" that can be utilized, if it is, in fact, impassable. Just look for it as you near the top, this the approach to Trailmaster Peak.
