Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Hiking Russell Carillon Pass & Mount Carillon,Please help with questions:)

I was wondering if any of you more familiar with this area could give me a bit more information on what I have been reading. Myself & a few of my friends would like to hike up to the Russell carillon pass to be able to look down and see Tulainyo Lake & then climb mount carillon. We would have liked to do it as an overnight, but since the permits are filled up during the summer months, we are thinking of doing it as a day hike in late summer.
I have been reading a few trip reports on the hike..and each person says something different...so I am a bit confused as what is the best route.
My biggest concern and what I have been reading each person saying different is rather to choose to go up to the pass from clyde meadows or the Rockwell variation? They say to go up the Rockwell variation and then go down to clyde meadows. Is this because from clyde meadows it is all loose scree?
What is the easiest way to the pass?. From clyde meadows or the Rockwell variation?
Is it in fact all class 2? this is what I have read and also RJ Secor says it is class 2

I read on one trip report once you leave the main Whitney trail for the N. fork lone pine creek to stay on the north side of the creek...and another one says to stay on the south side?? Which side is the better one?
I have read that the Ebersbacher ledges are easy to find and easy to climb..is this so?
By looking at my map, the total hike looks to be about 7 to 8 miles round trip??
If anyone could please answer these questions and give me any advice that could help with the hike I sure would appreciate it! Hope my questions do not seem silly, I just want to make sure im not going in over my head on this adventure.
Thanks so much!

Well, I start to chip away at all your questions. I did Russell two years ago via the Rockwell Variation up and direct to Clyde Meadow down. The Rockwell Variation in my opinion has more opportunity for stable rock/scrambling. Once you hit the base of Russell's SE face there is still a lot of loose junk. If one stays to the sides of the chute there is more stable rock so I'ld say go up that variation(Pic link below).
http://community.webshots.com/scripts/ed...security=YQRbra
It is all class 2, and much better than the long loose slog up the direct route(though the slog may be technically easier and offers good scree skiing down). For the start you stay to the North side of the creek, there is a well worn(summer) trail up to LBSL. The ledges can be tricky if you've never been there before, take a look at pictures posted here by Bob or others for visuals. I'll let others add their opinions.
Eric J Lee

Take a look at these photos from our hike last October with Snow Nymph, Calhiker and Steve. This shows the traditional route, starting at the broad shelf just east of Upper Boy Scout Lake.

<a href="http://www.mt-whitney.info/viewtopic.php?t=129"> Carillon Russell Saddle approach </a>

When you leave the Mt Whitney trail and start up the North Fork you can choose to stay on the north or south side of the canyon. Either works, but the north side is overall a better trail, without a trip through the boulder field just below the "inviting canyon to the left".

There are good pictures of the Ebersbacher ledges on line now, making it much easier. Scroll down until you find the pictures of the Ledges

<a href="http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/943486/guest.phtml"> Whitney pictures</a>

With a vertical rise of about 5200 feet to Mt. Carillon, I would estimate the effort factor at about 15-18 miles round trip.

Well, I did it the hard way, straight up the scree slog, when I was younger and stupider. I won't go that way again. (It was fun skiing down, though!) I will say that you will probably have to go through scree either way, and for that reason, you would be best off wearing ankle gaiters or some other device to keep the rocks out of your boots.

Ken has a point there. If you take the route from the broad shelf east of Upper Boy Scout Lake you need to stay on the right side going up. The sand scree field on the left side is very loose and best used on the way down.

If you stay on the right side, as we did (see our photos), you can try to keep to the bigger rocks. That helps some.

I have not been up the Rockwell variation, so I have no comparison. We didn't go that way because it is a little further and requires looping back some.

Thank you all so very much for taking the time to help with my questions! So very kind of you all. I have been wanting to do this hike for years..ever since I saw my 1st picture of Tulainyo Lake, something about that lake intrigues me & of course the views of the whole Whitney area & Russell!
To Eric J lee...I can't seem to open your link to look at your pictures? I would love to see them, also is the start of the Rockwell variation a bit past UBSL?
Kashcraft & Ken when you started up to the pass, did you start at clyde meadows? Or at the outlet of UBSL? I ask because I have a topo map that I printed out from someone's trip report of Russell & Carillon, it shows this person starting to go up to the pass at the outlet of UBSL..so was wondering about that.
Here is a picture of the map that shows his or her route up to the pass, I hope I can get the link to post. http://images.prosperpoint.com/images/2270/114515-3464.jpg
I am planning on this hike to be a very long day, between the elevation gain & cross country hiking..is it necessary to leave befor it is light you think? Or would it be safe to leave just as it is getting light?
Kashcraft thank you for the links to all the beautiful pictures! I remember looking at Snow Nymph's pictures of her hike you had done with her last year!

Thank you all again so very much for all the information you have given me!

Im not sure how to post a link on this board...my last post has the address of the map link..but you have to copy and paste it and then open it.

I am trying another one to see if I can get where you just click on and it takes you to it.
Sorry..I will try this one..it may or may not work. I don't know the right codeing you have to use to have it work
<IMG SRC=http://images.prosperpoint.com/images/2270/114515-3464.jpg WIDTH=550 HEIGHT=412>

To each his own, but that's a hard hike just to see Tulianyo Lake and do Carillon, as both are unimpressive compared to Sierra lakes and peaks in general. Russel would make it worthwhile though. Following are photos from last Sept. hike.
The slog up Russel-Carillon pass wasn't as bad as I thought. Plan to do Rockwell var. this summer.
Photos from last year:
http://members3.clubphoto.com/mike879902/2851590/guest.phtml

If you look at our pictures from last year you will see that we did not go all the way to Upper Boy Scout lake before we headed up toward the pass. From what I remember, we were probably in the upper third of the slabs (a few hundred feet below the lake)....then we headed north through easy shelfs onto the mostly flat sandy shelf on the north side before starting uphill to the pass.

<a href="http://community.webshots.com/photo/195818251/196721950ZUacSq"> approach </a>

I kind of agree adding Mt. Russell makes it a bigger accomplishment. I have a few extra photos of the route up to the saddle at this photo album, taken on my way to Mt Russell. Mt. Carillon is not included in these photos, but I went there also that day.

<a href="http://client.webshots.com/album/220811305EhuLqw"> Mt Russell photos</a>

I'll try the link to the same picture but on summitpost, since webshots sometimes is finicky.
http://www.summitpost.org/mountains/phot...r_by____limit__
The Rockwell variation continues up canyon past upper boyscout all the way to Russell's SE Face, as seen in the upper left hand corner of madeintahoe's picture. Where it bends East to the base of Russell's E Ridge. I did Russell as a dayhike 2 years ago, and was down by 2pm, though I tend to hike pretty fast. A sunrise departure should be adequate considering long summer days.
Eric J Lee
PS If you want to see the webshots album, try creating a free webshots user ID and then the link again, sometimes is locks out non-members.

One thing to consider if you're going to do Russell via the East Ridge in July or August, you may want to consider leaving the Portal as early as possible in order to get off Russell before the afternoon.

My partner and I found out the hard way last summer that a) thunderstorms come in really quickly in the early afternoon and b) the East Ridge is one of the worst places to be caught in one.

Here is a discussion about the Rockwell variation

<a href="http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001779"> Rockwell variation</a>

Tahoe, I agree that you do not need to go to UBSL, unless you are doing a "rockwell".

Where I found convenient to turn, was below a small grove of pine trees growing in the center of the way up to UBSL, then headed due up right. The slope you climb is OBVIOUS.

Thanks so very much again! I have really enjoyed this board, so glad it is here!

Kashcraft...Yes it looks like the best spot to head up is below the lake like you did on your hike..or anyplace between clyde meadow and the lake look good...also thank you for posting the link on the Rockwell variation..that was great to read , Bob R. has a lot of good pictures, I always love looking at his hikes he has done!

Yeah it may be a hard hike just to do Carillon and see Tulainyo, but to me if I get to the top of Carillon I would feel pretty darn good about it ...Yes it would be cool to get to Russell, I would love that & I did think about it.. But the exposure I was really worried about. Just how bad is it? I have looked at pictures of people climbing it before, some sections do not look that bad and some sections look very exposed and scary! And is it a true class 3?
To Eric...I was surprised as I have a webshots account and still was not able to open that picture, Thank you for posting again as I was able to open the one you posted..that is a good picture that shows a bit of it..is that section pretty steep?
I have been enjoying looking at your beautiful webshots albums! You have been on some beautiful hikes, I loved the picture of the little bear..how very cute! and how lucky you were to see one!

Owen Randall..that must have been a bit scary being in a thunderstorm up there! It did happen to me a few times, I know how scary it is being caught in one..living in Tahoe I know how fast the weather can change and bring on lighting and thunder, sometimes they really sneak up on you.

Ken, thank you..I agree unless we decide to do the Rockwell variation, we will start up some where between the meadow and UBSL., yeah I would think it would be obvious as to where to go

To all of you thank you for your time to comment to me!
Anita

Actually, Anita, I think that this is a good hike as an introduction to mountaineering and cross country travel. It really involves no risk, it is probably representative, in terms of a day's effort, it involves some navigation, you do true cross-country travel without any real risk of getting lost, and you see a variety of terrain.

Yes, Russell is really class 3, and yes, the exposure is quite scary. I know a number of people with experience, who backed off the most exposed section. I still dream about it. However, if you have the time, it can be fun to go as far as you feel comfortable, and back off. You get a quite different view of Tulainyo.

By the way, I'd strongly recommend hiking poles, but you would be far better off having hiked with them before. If you've never used them, on a hike like this, more than half of people would find them largely a hindrance. Used skillfully, they are an enormous aid.

One final thought: Last October when we went to Mt. Carillon, we considered going to Mt. Russell also. We didn't, due to the snow dusting on the east arete route.

I personally enjoyed the whole Mt. Carillon day hike experience. By itself, without anything else, it was well worth it. The view off the north side looking down at the Tulainyo lake and toward Mt. Williamson was quite satisfying. That lake is huge compared to other lakes in the area and very dark blue. The Whole Russell Carillon saddle is also a cool place and the view of Whitney is very unique.

Just how scary was the east arete route? For me, being relatively new to the area at the time and not being a rock climber I found it quite terifying. I was alone at the time and it scared me to death. I wondered if I had the emotional strength to come back across that. I suppose it is not really that dangerous if it is dry. But walking a foot or two from a rolling edge that drops a few thousand feet can really mess with your mind if you let it.

Having said that, I plan on taking my son Matthew across it in late June this year...then I will have a better feeling for how scarry it is in current time.

Thanks for the comments on the photos. I will agree with Kashcraft, I too soloed Russell's E Ridge and it definately got my heart pumping. There are only a few sections that are exposed, and man are they. If you have some climbing exp, it should be ok, if not then Russell may not be the place to practice class III. The final section of the Rockwell variation isn't that steep, the part just below that picture is worse, because its very sandy/gravely and just tiring. Happy climbing.
Eric

Hello again everyone!
This has been fun for me reading what you all have said!

Hello Bob...I would like to do it in late summer..im thinking late August or even September..I do not know the dates yet..I did look at what was available for permits on day hikes...and they do have a lot left for both August and September..I would have preferred to do it as an overnight..but nothing left in august or september....there will be about 3 or 4 of us going.
I have been looking at your photos of the E.ledges..is it going to be difficult to find where you start them? or is it somewhat obvious?

Ken, You are so right! Thank you... I think it is a good hike for what you said & for a day hike too.
Thank you all for being honest about the exposure! I will be just as happy to get to that saddle and to carillon...and like you said Ken I can always go as far as I feel comfortable on Russell if I decide to try it...I am very good about listening to what my body is telling me...I am not at all a risk taker, very cautious on what im doing..I like to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to hiking..if I feel at all uncomfortable I stop and turn back
Kashcraft..I too think that whole area looks neat! I have not been to that part of the Sierras in a while...climbed Whitney in 1993 on the main trail & 4 years ago was south of there in the Miter basin, dayhiked up to crabtree pass from sky blue lake.. Miter basin is very beautiful!

Ken...I do hike with a hiking stick..well it is a ski pole & I only use one, it does help a lot for sure
Eric still looking at your beautiful pictures! looked at the road trip to CA & Utah...both Zion & Escalante are two very special places for me, I love it there.

Thanks so much everyone!
Anita

Anita, one further thing on the poles. First, I at first thought that a single pole was the way to go....until I tried two. On a trail, one could argue, but when one gets on scree, there is no comparison. Also, many hiking poles come with small baskets at the end...guess what they are actually called: "scree baskets", not particularly useful in snow, but very, very helpful on scree, going up, or down. If you have two, descending scree becomes a form of skiing that is pretty safe. I find I use the poles in virtually the same way that I do downhill skiing. I can't quite imagine doing either with one. By the way, best price I've seen on adjustable poles: $10 ea at Wal-mart. Can't talk to the quality (scree baskets incl).

Bob that would be really neat if you could join us! We would all love having you along on this hike. We are not super fast hikers, at least im not...is that going to be okay? But we are strong hikers and backpackers that have done it for a long time
We would drive down from Tahoe on day one, camp somewhere near or at the portal, day two hike, camp again, and day three drive back home.
Also anyone else that would like to go is welcomed..I should have mentioned that.

Ken, thank you for letting me know about the walmart poles! Yeah I should try two of them to see if I like it....how cute they call them with the scree baskets, I do need to get one that you can adjust..a ski pole is okay, but when I need to use my hands, it is not good.
Bob I will let you know on the dates either posting again or by sending you an email....it wont be for a while yet until I know...Thank you for posting!

Thank you all again..you all have a wonderful day!
Anita..........it is raining right now in Tahoe