Hi there! Experienced hiker here, with a permit to climb Whitney in September. I was wondering what the trail surface is like: smooth compacted dirt, fist-size loose rocks, gravel, sand, scree, boulders requiring scrambling, etc.? A combination? We have all of those here in the Pacific Northwest. The Whitney climb will be my first time hiking in that part of California, so I'm trying to get a sense of what the trail surface is like late summer.

short answer is yes:D lol there are a TON of videos on youtube that will show parts of the trail. but the main trail is well maintained combo of compacted dirt, rocks, rock steps etc. No real scrambling unless you are headed out on the mountaineers route though.