The weather is being unseasonably cool, so you will encounter nearly the same conditions. With microspikes, you can walk down -- hiking poles (with snow baskets) would be especially helpful.
Understand that later in the afternoon, as the day cools and the slope is shaded by the mountain to the west, the slope can become icy (depending on the temperatures). So you should try to get down no later than 3 PM, and earlier would be better.
HST (High Sierra Trail) info, NOT the Mt Whitney trail: Are you sure you can negotiate that tunnel and snow in the narrow chute above Hamilton Lakes (at 9300')? It can be pretty treacherous when the trail is covered by the winter's snow.
Here... I did a google images search for "hst tunnel hamilton lakes", and found this picture and post by RoguePhotonic:
Quote:
Your biggest concern with snow is going to be the tunnel section as you drop off or climb the Kaweah Gap. If you have any gear you will be fine but in 2008 in mid June I had to spend 2 hours digging a level trail through the snow because it was hard packed and steep. One slip means death in that spot.
Notice the cut in the snow:
You might want to consider carrying an ice axe and crampons, just for that particular spot.
That's the spot that stopped us (and many others) in July of 2011. There was a lot more snow cover, from below the tunnel to above the chute in Rogue's pic. The section shown was a snow bridge over the trail, about 60 feet across, with 2-3 feet of clearance underneath. So we had our choice of traversing over with deadly exposure or crawling under, through icewater above and below. We opted for another day at Hamilton lakes and an out and back. It collapsed two days later. Early season, you need good beta on this particular spot.
