I should have been clearer. I recommend the same ROCK gear (if any) that you brought for Middle Palisade. All of the peaks mentioned in this thread are climbed un-roped all the time, but if you needed a rope on Middle Palisade, you may also want one on Russell and maybe even the others.
I have a little game I sometimes play: How far up a peak can I go without putting my hands on the rock? Leaning on elbows and forearms is OK, just no hands. With careful footwork and route finding (I had been there before), I once got up Muir without using my hands. It’s just not that hard. Besides, it would be awkward to belay from the summit block.
Three weeks from now, I’m confident that you won’t need crampons or an axe for Muir or Russell. The Mountaineers’ Route up to the notch might require crampons. Read what you can here and on WPSMB to make a decision on crampons.
I’ve climbed Russell several times from Iceberg Lake. You just walk around the west side of the lake and up to Whitney-Russell Pass. It’s an easy stroll from there to Russell. Unfortunately, I forgot that you want to do the East Ridge, and there is no easy stroll to the East Ridge from there. You could climb the South Face Right Side, also a quality class 3 route. Or you could ignore my questionable advice, camp at UBSL, and enjoy the East Ridge.
