White Hill looks down upon the canyons of Cascade Creek, the boy
scout lands of Tamarancho, and Bon Tempe watershed. It reaches
across to encompass everything from Mt. Tamalpais to the Big Rock
Ridge -- and on clear days, the snow-capped Sierras can be seen in
the distance.
I have hiked to the Hill from the Sherwood Forest / Robin Hood
series of caches. But the quickest access is from Summit Drive Fire
Road (off of Buckeye Circle at the top of Redwood Rd. in Woodacre).
From there, it is just over a mile (and about a 600 foot climb) to
the cache.
Look for the Summit Drive Fire Road above #8 Buckeye (around
37° 59.886N 122° 38.080W.) The trail is marked as you start
up it. When the nearby lands first became open space, the neighbors
were very concerned about its impact and some objected to this
trail being listed as an access point. So please pay attention to
the parking signs and respect those who live here -- if you are
meeting other people, consider carpooling from Woodacre.
The trail quickly begins to climb past fir and serpentine rocks
until it reaches White Hill Fire Road. The road crosses across the
ridge until the Blue Ridge Fire Road takes you to the White Hill
summit. Along the Blue Ridge, a short path to a knoll offers
wonderful views. And before reaching the Hill, there is an old gate
that marks the boundaries of three of the original Marin land
grants.
The area also marks a division in the watershed -- to the west,
rain will make its way to the Pacific through Tomales Bay; to the
east, it will flow through the San Francisco Bay and the Golden
Gate.
For longer hikes, you can also combine this with The Valley Opened Up. The map of the Giacomini Open Space Preserve
provides more information on the trails.
Barry Spitz (Open Spaces) writes that there was a 1946
B-17 crash six feet below the White Hill summit. He states that the
plane left skid marks that are still visible, but I have never seen
them. For extra points, find the skid marks and take a picture or
provide the coordinates and a description.
And the cache? A typical small container that was originally
filled with items that I or my daughter would like to find. But its
real purpose is to bring you to the top of the Hill. And from
there, perhaps you will fly like Icarus, taking care only of the
sun.