Shin,Tracie,Cori,and I started Saturday morning at 4am with Doug, as he was going to take us up above LBSL on the slabs to show us a short cut to Mt. Russell, we got to the spot at 6:40 where he pointed out which way to go up as he had to get back to open the store. Thanks Doug so much for taking your time and helping us out..I enjoyed the way we went up as there was easy walking on rocks and scree but from what I hear not as bad of scree as the other ways..
We took a break for some lunch at the saddle at around 10:30 then headed up,I had no idea what it was really like climbing up to the summit, other peoples pictures only give a slight idea..
Right off the bat I see frost on the ground and on some rocks, that stay there all day..Now I am a trail hiker not a rock climber, I'm looking at this beautiful formation of rocks all over this way and that way and it's pretty far down the sides and the sites are great..there were a couple times with the frost that I was really really concerned as I said SH*T a few times and son of a bitch a couple of times, and "what am I doing here"!!
We got to the East Summit at 1pm it was 39deg when we left and got to the saddle around 3pm and to the portal at 8:05pm..
It was a blast to do it and can't wait to do it again next year but a bit earlier in the year, what a fun time we all had with each other..Thanks Shin for guiding us around rocks and for the safety you showed for us, Cori thanks for helping us in finding the way and I like the speed in your hiking it fits me fine..Tracie thanks for all the laughs..
This was Shins and Tracies and my first time up Russell..
And then there was "the rock" got a lot of good laughs on that..
Thanks Doug Earlane and crew, you guys are great..
mark
Rest of pictures here
Mt. Russell 
