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 The East Ridge of Mt. Russell Credit: Sam Page |
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Sure, Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, but after climbing it twice (or even twice in one day), one begins to look around for other challenges. What one sees when one looks around from the summit of Mt. Whitney is the precipitous southern wall of Mt. Russell. At 14,086 feet, several hundred feet lower than Mt. Whitney, Mt. Russell is sometimes dismissed as just another fourteener in the Sierras. But R. J. Secor's description of the peak can get one's attention: "This is the finest peak in the Mount Whitney region. It is high and beautiful, and none of its routes are easy". It got my attention. In early October, I recruited several people to join me for a Sunday climb of Mt. Russell's classic East Ridge.
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 Looking down the East Ridge toward Lake Tulainyo from the summit. Credit: Sam Page |
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As we approached the weekend, the weather forecasts got progressively worse. By Friday, the forecasts for the Sierras called for 50 mph winds with gusts up to 100 mph on Sunday. That was enough for most people in our party to cancel. But I had not been to the Sierras in over six years, so it was going to take a lot more than talk of 100 mph gusts to discourage me.
Read more about my tussle with Mt. Russell.
