Just finished a 8 day trip with my daughter( her first bpack in the Sierra) started onion valley over kearsarge pass, no major issues either side, some snow pass flower lake, one area to transverse which was a little steep angle but short. West side fine. Bubbs creek still running strong and lots of down trees pass vidette meadows blocking trail, some short snow sections, lots of skeeters. Forester pass….most of the people we talked to used only micro spikes coming down the north side, lots only wearing trail runners. We brought out crampons and axes, damn glad we did. Long section on the north side still, 1/2 mile of solid snow, boot track is there. As long as everything goes perfect, no stumbling, no tripping, no catching your pole in your shoelaces you will probably be fine. Maybe I’m getting old but a fall there will give you a ride down the mountain with a bad end result. Hard and slick in the early am, mushy as the sun hits it. South side we used same equipment but you can scramble around the worst of it, both lakes on the south side still had snow/ ice on them. Didn’t get to hit Whitney this trip but from other hikers sounds like the west side is mostly clear. Be careful out there

Rhody,

Thanks for the TR/conditions update.

Awesome father/daughter outing! For her first backpack in the Sierras, you daughter certainly picked a route with tough conditions.

When you two were starting out, I met three young men on the Mt Whitney summit who were just finishing the Onion Valley to Whitney hike (with some necessary detours). The Crabtree Ranger had told them the day before that likely they were confronted with once in a lifetime late July conditions. Christine had seen very few hikers pass her station, despite it being mid summer.

Jim

I was heading to Onion Valley yesterday, but didn't carry any gear on the bike, so decided to head up to Horseshoe Meadows (where I know the conditions don't require gear below 12k) instead.

Sounds like a trip up to the Pass should be OK...

Thanks for the report and congratulations on the successful trip.