Chalk Peak was Number 200 for Walt Wheelock. Burdened down with several quarts of vintage champagne, he struggled successfully against the brush and steep hillside and emerged smiling at the summit, last of the 53 hikers to sign in. We all shared in the wine and in the good spirit of the occasion.
Timber Gulch is a pleasant approach to the peak. The stream runs wet all year from the south slopes of the mountain down to within a half mile of the trailhead. There is a small and pretty waterfall about halfway along the way. From this place the foliage thickens, and the rest of the route is brushy and slow. We descended over the rocks and through the weeds to the east, a faster but more strenuous route to the cars.
While the leader waited for stragglers, How Bailey conducted a safari over Lytle Creek Ridge to Gobblers Knob. Cars can be driven to within 1/2 mile of the summit, making the peak a questionable candidate for the 100 Peaks list. But the view from the top is superb, offering vistas of the north slopes of Telegraph Peak Ridge and a good overlook of the Stockton Flat area.
My thanks to Al Fowler for his able performance in the (usually) thankless job of assistant.
