Jim, in your first post you wrote:
"I rushed my acclimatization this year when I did Mt Langley first and it cost me my 2nd Whitney attempt."
Shepherd Pass is 12,000' elevation. First, you aren't going to want to haul a pack with 7 days' food from the trail head at 6,300' up to 12k in one day. Second, you are setting yourself up for a repeat of last year's AMS, but this time ruining a 7-day trip!
Last summer, I took the route up Wallace Creek and the use trail to Wallace Lake. It was sometimes difficult to follow and I lost it several times. I used my gps unit and paper map to find my way each time, and was successful following it most of the time. If I ever go that way again, it will be much easier due to being familiar with the area.
I camped at Wallace Lake, and then hiked out next day to Whitney Portal over Carillon/Russell Pass. I could have and should have climbed Russell.
Getting to Whitney from Russell: Carefully study the descent route off Russell, down-climb into the Arctic Lk drainage, then over Russell-Whitney pass descend to Iceberg Lk. You can climb the Mountaineers Route to Whitney. I have only seen anyone successfully climb the north slope of Whitney when there was a good snow/ice blanket so crampons could be used.
