Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Winter Access Forum BETA on Snow/Ice Conditions for Mt. Russell?

Hey all,

Looking to do a "peak bagging" trip June 13-18 (already have the permit) including Thor, Carillon, Russell, and the MR of Whitney.

Any info that anyone has on snow/ice conditions for Russell would be appreciated. There are already pretty maany topics covering the Mountaineer's Route. Think I'm covered there.

Thanks

Which route/approach are you planning to do? All technical routes and the East Ridge are likely to be almost completely free of snow/ice (with only a few exceptions like the Notch on Fishhook Arete or, perhaps, some ice in cracks on Mitril that are not exposed to the sun ... ). There will still be a lot of snow on the upper sections of all approaches. The exact amount of snow and its condition will depend on what happens during next few weeks and, obviously, temperature and time of the day when you approach. It could be a postholing nightmare or easy travel on hard snow. I would definitely plan on using an ice axe and crampons.

Thanks. Just looking to do the East Ridge Route. Will definitely bring along ice axe and crampons.

You will love this route! I don't want to spoil your trip but expect to get bored on Whitney MR if you do the East Ridge of Mt. Russell first. The initial section of approach between UBSL and start of the East Ridge can be quite strenuous regardless of whether or not its covered by snow, but you will be rewarded as soon as you get on the actual route. Also, make sure to look for right descent path from the summit if you plan to get down via South Face and then hike to Iceberg lake through Whitney-Russell path. The downclimb may involve a few class IV-ish moves.

Cheers

I think there is a pretty decent chance you will encounter snow on the route. If there is snow on the approach, there most certainly will be snow on the technical areas of the route. We were up there in Mid-October and everything was snow free until we hit 13.6k which is more or less where it becomes class 3 and had snow to our knees or more. The ER faces north and sees very little sun. As whitney is likely to have plenty of snow on the MR at that time, so too will ER of Russell. Check out summitpost to see some pics of the route at various times of the year to get an idea. I think I posted a few up there as well. It is still very doable, but just want you to be aware of what you will encounter. A slip and fall provides no room for error on the upper portions of the route. We were comfortable with the exposure and conditions but attempted as a dayhike and turned back at 13.9k due to time of day, incoming snow storm, and conditions making for a slow go.

I disagree that snow on approach will always mean snow on the actual ridge. My last trip to Whitney / Russell area was in February and we found the East Buttress of Whitney, including its shaded belay ledges, completely free of snow. The so called technical part of the ER is relatively exposed to both wind and sun and I think there is a very good chance that the true ridge will be clear when he attempts the hike. Of course, you can always find snow in shaded areas but, again, there is a good chance that it can be completely avoided. Of course, and as I mentioned earlier, I would bring an ice axe and crampons and prepare for the worst.

There was plenty of snow on the ridge as well as the approach as of May 19th. The storm on the 18th dumped 1-2 feet.

Jeffrey,

Here's a photo gallery from a trip I guided up the East Ridge last year: Mt. Russell East Ridge June 5-6, 2010.

Since we have more snow this year and unsettled weather in May I'm guessing you'll see more snow than what is in these pictures even though you're going about one week later than we were there.

I'll be headed up there June 4-5. Stay in touch and I can get you some pictures after I return.