While Shasta was the last mountaineering adventure that Rusk wrote about, he would continue to climb peaks around his Grants Pass home including Mount Thielsen. However, Rusk most desired to return to Alaska and at last conquer Mount McKinley. Over the following years, Rusk promoted another expedition, but could not get any financial backing. Eventually, he decided to organize an expedition to Mount St. Elias instead. Several members of the Mazamas and Cascadians initially said they would go along, but all eventually backed out for various reasons. In 1930, Rusk went by himself to climb St. Elias. When he arrived in Yakutat, he hired a local native to go with him and they set out. However, the boat they took to reach the head of the bay that is the access point to climb the mountain accidentally dropped them off on an island. Rusk and his companion were trapped for weeks waiting for the return of the boat. This was the last expedition that Rusk would go on because he died in February the next year.