If you are going to pre-hike the first part, you might like to check out the "old trail", that skips the first stream crossing:
It starts at Whitney Portal, just a little past the store, and climbs 30 switchbacks, then joins the Main Trail, just steps from the stream crossing. It joins the trail above/after the crossing heading up, so no crossing is required. Old trail
description and pictures is here. It is unmaintained, so you will find some gullying and debris in the path. But it is easy to follow once you find it.
If you check it out, I'd like to hear what condition it is in. In other words, how you liked it.
