First time ice axe, crampon use, glissading. Started chute at 5:30am. Reached Trailcrest at 10am (could have been faster if were in better shape).
Slush encountered at rocks toward the top. Take off crampons and hike middle rock field towards the top to pass slush. Then put them back on to summit trail crest.
Yes, switchbacks will be faster this time of year. Someone else reported at 3am snow chute was very good/hard. We encountered some slush, but it was not not doable.
Glissading was extremely fun. Slush snow will slow you down but you still need to self-arrest. At the top I was self-arresting for about 100 yards to make sure I had control. Also use your feet (without crampons) to dig into the snow).
DO NOT proceed without watching self-arrest and crampon usage videos and practicing on snow at the bottom of the chute.
Chute probably good for the next week as long as you have an early start, but it will be slower and tougher than switchback (everyone else is taking switchbacks).
