DST / SJ Peak Conditions ?

[FSct]

(Lots of great info on these boards, thanks to all the regular posters!)

My buddy and I are heading up Deer Springs Trail to SJ peak, doing an overnighter. Has anyone been up that way recently? We don't own snowshoes or crampons, so we're wondering which we should bother renting and lugging with us. Or if we can get by with boots alone. A few days ago I contacted the ranger station and was told that crampons would be a good idea...but wouldn't the minicrampons on the snowshoes work almost as well on hard snow/ice, and have the added benefit of being usable in soft snow?
In the past we've always just toughed it with boots alone on snow hikes (large feet) so we're snowshoe and crampon newbs.

Any advice would be appreciated.

EDIT: Well the storm has pushed the trip back a couple weeks, but we're still curious about the necessity of snowshoes or crampons.