My friend (who is experienced in winter travel) used Altras and hiking crampons. They are a mix between traditional crampons and micro-spikes. Everyone else - including myself - had regular boots + crampons). (https://www.hillsound.com/products/trail-crampon vs https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en/climbing%2Fcrampons/contact-crampon-BD400069_cfg.html )
If we don't get another dump, then spikes/hiking crampons will become more useful as the snow melts on the Chute. However, hikers should note that there is plenty of snow on the .1 mile section to the JMT junction, and then the entire 1.9 JMT run to the summit. So, plan on wearing whatever traction you have along that stretch as well.
Looking through one of the keyholes down to Iceberg
As far as timing, the day hikers were leaving the Portal at 3am, getting to Trail camp/Chute by 8am, gaining Trail crest by 10am, and hitting the summit around noon. So, yes, plan on averaging around 1 mph while there is still snow/ice.
Note: the trail was clear (except for minor shade patches) until above Mirror, then full coverage allowing the winter route to Consultation & TC. (That is, you simply hike up the drainage and avoid the entire run from Trail side meadow on.) Here's a shot of me looking back to where the snow route doglegs to pick up the trail down to Mirror. (Last year in May, a disoriented hiker kept going straight and fell to her death down the waterfall that drops to Outpost; you can see it behind me.)
We had a perfectly luxurious start of 8am from TC because we were planning on spending a second night before hiking out & driving back to SoCal Sunday. We took 2 hours to get to Trail crest/junction, then 2 to the summit. We hung out for an hour, and took 2.5 hours to get back to camp. 2 hours back to Trail crest, and a quick glissade and hike back to Trail camp.
