Also, on water shoes, I regret bringing them The only spot you need to take your boots off is right below Outpost camp. The flooded trail is not gravely and one could easily walk barefooted - save some weight.
I actually use my water shoes for camp shoes so I don't have to slip my big boots all the time on for nightime strolls to the nearest bolder. So they'd be dual purpose in my case. And I got a fairly light pair that are about 12 oz.
Hope you enjoyed the sunrise from Trail Camp before heading down. That was one of my highlights of my first Whitney hike (well two, since I stayed two nights at Trail Camp ).