I drove my passenger car to Chews Ridge some years ago. The road (unpaved) continues to the Tassajara Springs Zen buddhist monastery. Yes I saw the weather station at Chews Ridge too. The summit area was quite flat and full of trees. Has the recent fire opened up the view?

NEVER MIND!

(This post used to say some confused rantings.)

<i>snwburds 'ridge' from VC to South VC is an hullicination brought on by dehydration. It's probably doable but the ridge I was looking at from VC doesn't go all the way across, forcing you to drop all the way down. It would be an ugly trip. Sounds like fun!</I>

Let's see who's doing drugs here: said ridge from VC to SVC is in fact the same route mconnell travelled with me a few months ago. Can it still be a hallucination?

I think mconnell was referring to the VC to DVC route, but I don't think Chris was contemplating that one. However, I have done further research on this and have concluded that it is in fact possible. The part that looks most difficult (close to DVC) can be bypassed by dropping down a short distance on the west side of the ridge, and has been done by others. I'm going to consider this route next spring if anyone is interested. Mark, you can come if you promise to stop with the drugs.

Whew, took a while to dig this one back out of the archives. You may recall that one Kelsey Jordahl and friend beat mconnell and I to the summit of Ventana Cone by three days, leaving us this note:
<p>
<a href=http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_photos/ventana_cone/reg/DSC00043.jpg><img src=http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_photos/ventana_cone/thm/DSC00043.jpg></a>
<p>
Fast-forward four months and shift to Disaster Peak somewhere north of Sonora Pass. <a href=http://www.snwburd.com/bob/sp/disaster_8_25_02.jpg>This time</a>, Kelsey didn't get there before me. Ha!

I dug this out mostly for Mark. He was with me on the first trip we made to Ventana Double Cone. It's been wondered over the years whether one could successfully negotiate the ridge to Ventana Double Cone and get back in the same day. We weren't successful in attempts in 2003 and again in 2004. A few weeks ago Michael Graupe and I finally completed the grueling <a href=http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/south_ventana_cone_4.html>Ventana Triple Crown</a>. I'm done with the Ventana for this year, thank you.

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Adam T wrote:Has anyone heard of /climbed Kandlebinder, near the VDC? Theres a little known shortcut that leads to it, involving some bushwacking that I would love to do.
If anyone still wants to do some hiking in the area, feel free to email me, wachteladam@hotmail.com

Kandlbinder is another toughie that Matthew and I failed on the first effort (we got lost in the maze of the Little Sur drainage). I'd definitely be up for trying that again. But not until next winter/spring. Too many flies out now. I'm not sure what shortcut you could be referring to, because that peak is as remote as Ventana Double Cone - only without the trail leading to the summit.

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Hiked Post Summit on July 11th, The trail is in great shape from the fire last year, steep and rocky on the fire break the to the top. Some of the best views along the coast. 3500 feet may not sound like much, but this trail is a workout.

How were the flies? I love Ventana but the flies can be bad this time of year.

This trail is hot, dry and in the open in grass meadows, few flys and no problem with poison oak. Very few people hike this trail. Hope this helps.....pjc

The trip took me "forever" I spent 7hours out there........anyone else have their times for the roundtrip?

I wonder what Kandlbinder will be like after the fires ..

rhyang wrote:I wonder what Kandlbinder will be like after the fires ..

I've been wondering that too. Matthew and I tried to reach it via Mt. Manuel one year, thinking it looked good on the topo, but finding totally impenatrable brush in practice. Might make a reasonable route...

From every report I've seen, most of these routes are now open.

Pinyon is supposedly now more or less a walkup and there was a guy on the VWA forum who reportedly did the Manuel > VDC traverse (though I couldn't make heads or tails of his trip report)

Couldn't pay me to be down there between Memorial and Labor day tho

Headed in to do Ventana Cone this weekend. Saw a lot of stuff like this on the ridge -



I suspect this made it a bit easier than some past attempts, but never fear, there is plenty of nice bushwhacking still

Had to bang on the ammo box with a rock to open it though .. nobody had signed it since 2008, probably before the fires last year.