Mount Russell (California)

For the peak in Alaska, see Mount Russell (Alaska).

Mount Russell
Mount Russell, south slope.
Elevation	14,094 ft (4,296 m) [1][2]
Prominence	1,096 ft (334 m) [2]
Parent peak	Mount Whitney[2]
Listing	SPS Mountaineer's peak[3]
Location
Mount Russell Location in California
Location	Inyo and Tulare counties, California, USA
Range	Sierra Nevada
Coordinates	36°35′24″N 118°17′26″W / 36.59°N 118.29056°W / 36.59; -118.29056Coordinates: 36°35′24″N 118°17′26″W / 36.59°N 118.29056°W / 36.59; -118.29056[4]
Topo map	USGS Mount Whitney
Climbing
First ascent	June 24, 1926 by Norman Clyde[5]
Easiest route	Scramble, class 3[5]

Mount Russell is a peak in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the U.S. state of California, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) north of Mount Whitney. It rises to an elevation of 14,094 feet (4,296 m) and is the seventh highest peak in the state.

Geography

Russell is located on the Sierra Crest, which in this area marks the boundary between the John Muir Wilderness, the Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Park; and the boundary between Inyo County and Tulare County. It rises just southwest of Tulainyo Lake, one of the highest and largest of the high alpine lakes of the southern Sierra.

History

The Peak was named for Israel Cook Russell, an American geologist who was a member of the Wheeler Survey and who was best known for his explorations in Alaska.^[6]

Climbing

The first ascent of Mount Russell was on June 24, 1926 by famed Sierra mountaineer Norman Clyde. It offers climbers at least a dozen routes, from multiple scrambling routes (class 3) to a serious technical route (Grade IV, 5.10).^[5]

Mount Russell sees far less traffic than its much more famous neighbor Mount Whitney. However, since its southern and eastern slopes fall in the Mount Whitney Zone of the Inyo National Forest, these approaches are governed by stricter access limits. From May to October, only ten people per day are permitted to enter the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek for overnight use. Day use climbers are grouped with the Whitney Main Trail day use quota. This puts climbers on Russell's most common approaches in competition with climbers on Whitney's popular Mountaineer's Route, and also with the Main Trail users.^[7]

See also

• List of California fourteeners
• Mountain peaks of California

References

1. ^ The NGVD 29 elevation of 14,088 feet was converted using VERTCON to the NAVD 88 elevation of 14,094 feet.
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Mount Russell, California". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=2826. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
3. ^ "Sierra Peaks Section List". Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. http://angeles.sierraclub.org/sps/spslist.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
4. ^ "Mount Russell". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:265692. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Roper, Steve (1976). The Climber's Guide to the High Sierra. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. p. 305,367. ISBN 0-87156-147-6. 
6. ^ Farquhar, Francis P. (1926). Place Names of the High Sierra. San Francisco: Sierra Club. http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/place_names_of_the_high_sierra/r.html. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
7. ^ "Recreational Activities - Mount Whitney Zone Map". Inyo National Forest website. http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5130080.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 

External links

• "Mount Russell". SummitPost.org. http://www.summitpost.org/page/150515. Retrieved 2011-06-01. 
• "Photos of approach and climbing Fishhook Arete". http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/553873965NSgZnG?start=19. Retrieved 2011-06-01.