A friend and I had wanted to get out for the weekend, but were undecided where. Saturday morning we selected the North Fork area, and would see what evolved. We figured probably either Russell or Peak 13,920+ (west of Russell). We eventually settled on Russell via the South Face. Camp was about halfway between UBS and Iceberg Lakes.
On Saturday, as we passed Iceberg Lake about 7:45, we could see a party ascending the first pitch of Whitney's East Buttress. They were going very slowly.
We went over Whitney-Russell Col and traversed to the chute below the south face. I wasn't feeling too perky and was holding Paul back, so turned around at 13,500'. Unfettered, he summited about ½ hour later. Paul reported very little snow in the final chimney below the crest, and almost none on the back side. The last register entry was 1 October.
I got back to Iceberg Lake around 12:15, and waited for Paul. I passed the time watching the East Buttress party. They were still at the elevation of the first pitch, but now way off-route to the right. It looked like they were stuck. But when Paul reached me a half hour later, they had started to rappel into the Mountaineer’s Route chute.
Another friend, Dan, with his dog Reesie, joined us for the first day only. At UBS Lake they peeled off to climb Thor by the Smiley Face route, and descended the SE couloir.
The temperature Saturday night got down to 25 degress.
<a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/4998468>Pictures are here.</a>
