Eh what the heck—just continuing to talk with myself here. :-)
Since I'm coming from the west, my impression is that the trail from Guitar Lake to Trail Crest is now snow free (if anyone nows differently, please let me know!)
As for descending the east side, my big question is...are the switchbacks fully open?
If the switchbacks are NOT open, then the best advice seems to be to time the descent down the Chute for midday/afternoon when the snow is soft.
(Part of the reason I'm talking to myself here is just for the benefit of others—so my thought process is clear. It may not be the best thought process, but I tend to be fairly analytical about this stuff, so for what it's worth!)
Scott
