There is still a fair amount of snow on the main trail. Most of the trail has been "blazed" though. There are, however, several slick spots on the trail as of July 1. The cables still ramains one of the slickest spots. Many are going over them without crampons but a few are still taking it safe with them. By mid to late July they should be looking a lot better.
With the recent storms, snow has been falling. On 6/29 in the afternoon, a slight rain fell. This refroze on the icy patches. On 6/30 at 6:30 AM a storm cloud came over and dumped minimal amounts of snow. But, it made the trail much more slick. For all those headed up in the next couple of days, I would recommend taking crampons to get across the slickest spots.
Crampons can be rented in Lone Pine or Bishop if you are looking at a one time thing. They are on a first come, first serve basis. As for those people planning a hike in the next couple of weeks, check back shortly before your scheduled date for the latest reports.
Anthony
Last edited by AMphony; 07/02/09 06:38 PM.
