[pct-l] Summmer section hike?

[samberry at bu.edu (samberry@bu.edu)]

Hi all,
I have two questions that I would really appreciate some help on. 
First, my friends and I have been planning a section hike to go
southbound from Echo Lake to Horseshoe(Horsehead?) Meadows via Mt
Whitney.  The trip is scheduled to start on July 1st and end around
August 10th, and we're planning on taking a number of small sidetrips
along the way such as Yosemite Valley and others.  We live in Atlanta
so we're not too sure how to check for snow conditions and we don't
have a good sense of just how bad the snow situation is out there in
California.  If we were to start and end on the dates I mentioned
before do yall think that we would have too much trouble with snow? 
Two of us have experience with ice axes and are willing to teach the
other two if need be.  We haven't hiked along the PCT before so we
really have no idea what the weather around Echo Lake is typically
like around July 1st.

The second question just regards little side excursions.  We aren't
too intent on following the PCT mile for mile and we're willing to go
off trail if the destination is beautiful enough.  Does anyone have
any suggestions for any day long or half-day long excursions between
Echo Lake and Mt Whitney?  I realize that I might be opening the
flood gates by asking this, and obviously we can't do all of them,
but if there are any 'can't miss' spots we'd really love to know
about them.

Thanks for the help,
-Sam Berry