Thanks for this thread! It helped a lot as we were planning our summit last week, so I will pay it forward with my report:
Our group of 4 summited about 8 am Saturday, June 6. We actually had a permit for Saturday entry, but had read about potential weather over the weekend, so we drove up and got a walk-in permit for Thursday entry, stayed Thursday at Lone Pine Lake (beautiful), and Friday at Trail Camp before summiting Saturday. It snowed lightly at Trail Camp Fri night/Sat morning and as we got about a quarter way up the switchbacks. The wind wasn't much more than 5-10 mph at most though so, although it was cold, we didn't feel unsafe (We did Mt. Baldy this spring in the snow as well as a failed San Jacinto attempt in snow a few weeks ago, so we had experience and knew our limits). Around sunrise, we could see a dull pink, but there was a lot of fog around us. Definitely not a white out as we had great visibility along the trail, and definitely not a lightning/thunder storm brewing situation.
There is no snow to speak of all the way up to Trail Camp, where there is snow among the rocks in places where tents might usually be. To ascend, we went up the switchbacks and had spoken to other hikers who were on their way down Thursday about the conditions of the switchbacks. A few switchbacks before the cables were sketchy, with steep ice along the turns, and the creek is running through the switchbacks, so that is obviously icy as well. Then from the cables it was basically snowy and icy the whole way. We all had trail crampons (microspikes basically), which we put on maybe halfway up after 1 or 2 minorly sketchy spots, and poles. One member of our group carried mountain crampons and said there was maybe one place he thought he could have used them, but otherwise they would have been overkill. He also had an ice axe, which he left at trail camp after our Thursday talks with other hikers. Also, we didn't carry ice axes as we did not intend to use the chute (more on that later) and it wouldn't have helped us on the switchbacks.
The switchbacks were the "worst" part though. After the switchbacks there was snow over trail crest and down along the backside goat trail, but it was all much more fresh and very light across the trail, though I can't speak to afternoon conditions as we first passed it about 6 am, then again about 9-9:30 a.m. We were the first to summit that morning and by the time we were coming back down the backside trail was light snow mixed with dirt. Still, the 300 foot decent after trail crest (on the backside) was fairly thick with snow.
For us, with a 4:15 a.m. start from trail camp, the ice & snow were a non-issue due to our spikes. Even the new snow was light, powdery and sticky, so it helped us grip. For those coming up the switchbacks around 10:00 a.m. when we were on our way back down, it was a different story. The ice had melted to a slush that was very thick and slippery. We took it slow as even our spikes would not help - and the slush is mostly on the steep turns of the switchbacks, as well as the already sketchy cable area. There were a lot of people attempting to make it up in running shoes with no tread, no spikes and no poles. I heard lots of reports of people turning back and as we were headed back down, we only passed a handful of hikers who had made it past trail crest or to the top of the switchbacks. In fact, when we were on our way back down with our gear after trail camp, one hiker cautiously asked us if we had summited and was surprised that we had; she said no one else she'd met coming down had summited (which made sense since we were the first that day). This was probably around 12 or so. We heard that same report from another hiker further down the mountain who was headed up.
Even as we hiked up to trail camp on Friday, we passed by several groups who had turned back from exhaustion or altitude sickness (most of these were day hikers).
I'm not sure if it snowed more on Sunday, but with conditions they way they were, a summit is for sure possible. I was very happy for my trail crampons and poles and the early start (before everything melted down) made it much easier for us. It was bitterly cold, but not unbearable, and with our gear and timing, the ice and snow were fine (and made for a beautiful hike). Trail spikes aren't that heavy; I'd suggest bringing them along just in case. Although I imagine conditions will be improving, I think they would be the difference between a safe summit and an exhausting one (or a turn-back).
We ran into some day hikers about 75% up the switchbacks as we were headed down and gave them the scoop. Then, we actually saw them at breakfast in town the next morning. They said they did summit and made it back to the portal at 10:30 p.m. for a 19 hour roundtrip. They said it was grueling. They did all have spikes and poles.
On the chute: We were definitely tempted to glissade, but decided not to. On our way up on Thursday we talked to a guy who said the chute has just been chewed up by people going up and down and, since the weather has been so back and forth, the snow has been freezing and melting and freezing and melting such that it was filled with hidden divots that would make it hard to choose your own route so to speak. We did run into a 15 yo dayhiker on his way up and we saw him come through trail camp as we were packing up and he had glissaded down. But he's 15 and I'm guessing his body is a bit more forgiving. I'm sure it was fun for him, but I have heard the stories and you are a long way from help up there. [Find safety between your ears, not in your pack (or a helicopter).]
In all, it was an amazing trip! The mountains are beautiful and we were very lucky that conditions worked out. The views from the windows were absolutely stunning. Left us all speechless. Good luck out there and be safe!
