We got a late start at 10:30 am on the 18th and carried our very heavy packs up to about 12,100' in the valley which is in front of Whitney. We parked lower than the trailhead and added some elevation, making it a 4000' climb on day one. Conditions were really good before and after the steep section of trail in the North Fork; the part from the 1st creek crossing to LBSL. Above LBSL it was a nice winter climb, despite it feeling like spring.
Summit day was really nice. We had hard conditions the entire way up, and it was a good climb in both the main gully and the final 400. It was hazy high clouds on most of the summit day, but we had nearly calm winds, and perfect temperatures. Descent went fast. My pack weight was the only thing that made descent from our camping area difficult. 56 and 45 pounds is too much to carry for something like this. If I do this again, I would just try to day hike it. We left the same day as we summited, and had we not had to deal with all the camp issues that you do in winter, it could have been a 12 hour trip, max.