Please excuse the repeat of this message. Planning climb up via Slide Brook on Saturday AM, overnighting in the range and completing as many of the other peaks as we can. An earlier poster asked if the gates to the Elk Lake access road are now open. Is there any clarification on that? More importantly, how are the ice conditions on the slide on Macomb, and is the herd path that avoids the slide reasonably clear? Any other problem areas? What's the overall summit cover like -- I'm assuming hardpack, but we are packing snowshoes, full crampons and ice axes. Any and all advice appreciated.