I hiked up along Trail Crest yesterday with the goal of making the summit, unfortunatey I had to turn around about a kilometer from the summit due to the weather (of course, today was sunny and beautiful, darnit!). The chute was covered with a thin layer of soft snow on top and crunchy/icy underneath. You'll need an ice axe and crampons to climb it (wow, what a tough climb!). Once you're up the chute, Trail Crest is fairly straightforward...snow and ice in certain spots...but the trail is clear and manageable. Make sure you check the weather board at the visitor center when you grab your permits. Have fun!
