The upcoming traverse back in view as the trail turned south. Looks much easier when you can't see the valleys on the far side of the peaks. Peak 4455 on the left, Ventana Cone in the center and Ventana Double Cone on the right.

Left the Pine Ridge trail shortly before the trail junction and began the bushwack up to South Ventana Cone. The vegetation near the trail was waist/shoulder height, but it diminished as one neared the ridgetop. Was heading directly into the rising sun for this portion, so seeing where I was going was a bit awkward. This shot is from up on the ridgetop as I was traversing over to the highpoint. Reached SVC a little after 9am.

Looking over to VC and VDC from the SVC summit. Turning out to be a beautiful cool clear sunny day.

The South Ventana Cone summit register. A half dozen or so entires since we were up here last January, but noone in 05. The last entry was from one of the Black Cone trail crew from November.

I could see the (newly restored) Black Cone trail below me and it looked closer than the Pine Ridge trail, so I headed directly down to it. (Bits of the trail can be seen in the bottom left and center of this shot)

Down on the Black Cone trail looking back up at South Ventana Cone. Headed north from here to get back to the Pine Ridge/Bear Basin/Black Cone trail junction.

The trail crews had cleaned up the early parts of the Bear Basin to the point where it was at least discernable as a trail once again. I parted ways with it as it turned to head down off the ridge and headed west for the 2 mile ridgetop bushwack to Ventana Cone. This shot is looking back to SVC after leaving the Bear Basin trail.

Beginning of the decent into the "chaparral maze" in the valley between here and peak 4455. An old firebreak cut follows the ridge the whole way to Ventana Cone and the trick is to stay on it.

Down the first slope and across the valley about 25 minutes later, looking back at the decent route from the Pine Ridge. This stuff always looks decievingly easy when viewed from a distance.