The East summit marks the end of one ridge and the beginning of another (much easier) one. The West summit is the true summit of Mt. Russell. The ridge between the two would require some mental preparation if encountered first, but after the East Ridge it was a walk in the park.

We were the only party actually on the ridge that day. We kept looking over at Mt. Whitney, seeing the crowds of people at the top. It was great to have the whole mountain to ourselves. The father/daughter team had ventured onto the first part of the ridge, but elected to spend their morning on the plateau instead of crossing.