Here's a picture of the descent from Trail Crest to the junction with the JMT. This would be the deepest snow. Understand that people like to exaggerate, and Visitor Center workers will repeat that information to forewarn the unprepared.
eppcamp: Trail crest behind the spines. #mtwhitney #mtwhitneytrail
seymour_glasss: I don't have spikes but I could do a section like this without I think. There are more gnarly areas I'm guessing?
mikes_adventure: @eppcamp what gear did you have to get up to the top? We are trying to summit Sunday. And info that could help us out?
eppcamp: @seymour_glasss @mikes_adventure there are so many people up there right now that it'll probably be a sidewalk by Sunday. But everyone I saw at the summit had micro spikes.
eppcamp: @seymour_glasss at your fitness level, you'll be fine. May make sure you have some poles.
seymour_glasss: @eppcamp sweet. Hope the altitude doesn't get me!
eppcamp: @seymour_glasss nah, you've climb gorgonio a million times and that's all I did for elevation training.
mikes_adventure: Thank you. What was you start time and pace? @eppcamp
eppcamp: Started from Whitney trailhead at 3:30am, summited around 11am. Slooow pace because I expected to have to posthole to the summit. Plus I watched the sunrise for 30 minutes. It'll be easier on Sunday because there won't be ice and snow on the way to Trail camp.
eppcamp: @mikes_adventure sorry, see above.
gentravels: Reading all your info thanks!!!!! I was almost going to head to Yosemite as my plan b😑
mikes_adventure: @eppcamp thank you so much for all the info! You have lifted the spirits of our group.
eppcamp: @mikes_adventure @gentravels there is still a lot of bad information out there. But three guys camped at the summit last night, and 5 other people were on the summit with me with 4 others coming up to the cabin as I started done. It's doable.
