Just before sunset we reached with great relief our high point the Red Reef Trail and I was never so happy to see a fire road. Small remnants of snow remained on the north slope of Topatopa Bluff and at 6,100 feet it was quite chilly out. We gobbled the remaining food and candy we had left took a few sunset photos and moved like lightning by headlamp for the last 9 miles and reached a car we had parked at the Sisar Cyn TH just after 8 pm.
Total Stats: 22 miles, 7502 elevation gain, 12.5 hrs and 8 tired feet
1:40 pm Cream Puff (unofficial name) and Hines Peak. We are aiming for the low point between and behind the two peaks.
all of my pix are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma ... ToSisarCyn#
of your route do you?
"the last nine miles" is not a phrase you hear tossed around much! (at least not by me...) A great accomplishment, and an interesting trip! I loved your photos, as always.
one of these days I'm going to get you to take me up there and show me your other backyard 
up a trail. i will have to look through my memory cards and find them, post them and will send you a link. it was a blast, though my glutes were not so happy 2 days later. i have to credit the success of that trip and this loop to the amazing orientation skills of Ron Hudson. he is The Master. lucky for me he lives in Ventura County.
i'll look into beta on that for you. oh btw, Ron said the road to Tar Creek wasn't a seasonal closure, i think it was something about damage. my currently fried brain can't remember exactly what the story is, so i will check on that too.
