Thanks all for the quick and informative responses.
The more I research this the more it seems that a day hike on Oct 15 could get dicey due to snow and ice. According to the last 4 year's history on the Inyo site, there is 100% chance of snowfall by Oct 15. Crossing those lovely "windows" on slippery ice and/or high wind is sure to make my blood run cold - crampon or not -- I remember having some difficulty with the (perfectly) dry narrow expanse of rock at the top of Clouds Rest in Yosemite with 3000ft drop on either side! On the other hand, driving 800 miles (round trip) and only hitting Trail Camp will suck pretty bad. But, putting safety first (probably, even before first) I am going to see if I can squeeze this in a couple of weeks earlier - and carry some lighter Kahtoola Microspikes (instead of crampons) for added insurance.
Thanks again for the pointers to help me make a sensible decision.
T2n
