Hello, DB and I are interested and can go depending on the date. I have climbed the South Spur 5 times. Most of what is said is right. The road to parking is terrible. We never camped there and always chose to hike in to the Lunch Counter with full packs. While I understand the added burden, the Lunch Counter is a fantastic and memorable place to camp. There is nothing like it, in my experience. We never used crampons in 5 tries, but I understand that in certain conditions they might be needed. To me the most important things are knowing how to carry/use an ice axe without killing yourself, and knowing how to pace and breathe above 10,000 feet. I do also agree that June is too early unless the snow is particularly light. We, I think, always went in August. Most years there will still be plenty of snow between the Lunch Counter and the false summit even then. Coming down to the Lunch Counter is a blast; glissading or skiing. Anywho. We would like to go. We have some extra gear; ice axes in particular if anyone needs.
