A few buddies and I tried to get permits for a 4-day,3-night backpacking trip on the Teton Crest Trail for the first week of August, no dice. We are able to get one for the first week of July. I am told that there is still a decent amount of snow. Questions:

1. Will it still be cold? Would it be more enjoyable to wait and try to get permits for late August or even Sept instead?

2. I was told by the Ranger I spoke to that we MUST have ice axes and be experienced with self-arrest skills, as some passes will be very dangerous -- e.g. Paintbrush Divide. We are novice backpackers and this scares me a bit.

Thoughts?