Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

June 28th, 2025 at 5:04 AMJohn Muir Wilderness, CA

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Info

Distance10 mi

Elevation gain6,200 ft

CruxClass 3

Route typeOut & back

Duration9 hr

Quality8/10

Vehicle to trailheadCar

Protected areaJohn Muir Wilderness (USFS), CA

EcoregionSierra Nevada

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Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Starting along the Old Mount Whitney Trail.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Joining the North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Approaching the Ebersbacher ("E") Ledges.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Exposed section of the E Ledges.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Climbing to the outlet of Lower Boy Scout Lake (top center).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — A gentle, shaded section of trail along the perimeter of Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back toward Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Sticking to these slabs to avoid bushwhacking through Clyde Meadow (left).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Starting up a sandy chute leading to Russell-Carillon Pass.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back toward Clyde Meadow.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Picking up a use trail.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back down the chute.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View toward Mount Irvine (left of center) and Mount McAdie (right), separated by the aptly named Arc Pass.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Approaching Russell-Carillon Pass. Mount Russell is on the left.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Closeup on Mount Whitney. Hardly visible to the naked eye, a party of climbers nears the top of the Mountaineer's Route (the snow-filled couloir).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Approaching the pass.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back down the wide slope.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View of Tulainyo Lake from Russell-Carillon Pass.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Mount Russell's impressively sheer north face.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Starting up Mount Russell's east ridge.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Class 2.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back toward the pass. From left to right, the three peaks surrounding the lake are Mount Tunnabora, The Cleaver, and Mount Carillon (the last climbed later in the day).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Class 2 ledge on the north side of the ridge.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Knife edge section.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View toward Mount Whitney.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back along the knife edge.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Class 3 section.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back at the exposure on the Class 3 section.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Approaching Mount Russell's east summit.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Gaining Mount Russell's east summit. The slightly taller west summit lies just a quarter mile ahead. Mount Whitney looms to the southwest.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View northwest.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Traversing to the west summit.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back toward the east summit.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — The route drops down to the north side of the ridge before climbing up the back side of the west summit.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Mount Russell west summit. View toward Mount Whitney.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Closeup on Mount Whitney's north face.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View west. Opposite Kern Canyon in the distance lies Mount Kaweah.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View east.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View north toward Wallace Lake. Mount Williamson, another 14er, is on the right.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Descending the Mount Russell's east ridge.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Carefully downclimbing the more exposed sections.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Returning to the Russell-Carillon Saddle.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Back at the saddle, starting up Mount Carillon's west ridge.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back toward Mount Whitney (left) and Mount Russell (right).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Stiff Class 2 near the summit of Mount Carillon.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Mount Carillon summit. View east toward The Cleaver (left) and Gambler's Special (right of center).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View east toward Mount Russell.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View north toward Tulainyo Lake.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View southeast.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View southwest toward Mount Whitney.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Descending Mount Carillon's south slope.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Quick descent down the sandy chute to rejoin the North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Back on the trail, view toward Upper Boy Scout Lake (not visible).

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — View back up the slabs.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — Descending to Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Mount Russell and Mount Carillon — From Lower Boy Scout Lake, final view toward Mount Whitney.