  We study nuclear high-spin states undergoing the transition to the fully
stretched configuration with maximum angular momentum I_max within the space of
valence nucleons. To this end, we perform a systematic theoretical analysis of
non-fully-stretched I_max-2 and I_max-1 f_{7/2}^n seniority isomers and
d_{3/2}^{-1} f_{7/2}^{n+1} intruder states in the A~44 nuclei from the lower-fp
shell. We employ two theoretical approaches: (i) the density functional theory
based on the cranked self-consistent Skyrme-Hartree-Fock method, and (ii) the
nuclear shell model in the full sdfp configuration space allowing for 1p-1h
cross-shell excitations. We emphasize the importance of restoration of broken
angular momentum symmetry inherently obscuring the mean-field treatment of
high-spin states. Overall good agreement with experimental data is obtained.
