Gossip Rock

Me and my favorite jacket

Today's goal was to find the crash site of ill fated United Flight 615 in the east bay hills above Union City. I read about this 1951 plane crash a couple years ago and have wanted to find the location ever since. I found the exact coordinates of the crash site on www.geocaching.com just this past week. I also found coordinates for a brand new geocache nearby that was yet to be found called Gossip Rock. 'First To Find' was still up for grabs, very enticing!

The hills in the east bay are mostly grass and lack the tree cover that the Santa Cruz Mountains have so the views of the bay were spectacular as I gained elevation, rather quickly, hiking through Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park. I chose a ridge I thought was most likely to get me to my goal but after a lot of climbing I began to realize Flight 615 would be on the ridge just to the south of me. As I reached the top of the ridge I was climbing, Gossip Rock was clearly visible not more than a quarter mile south of me on a clear posted trail. I hadn't seen anyone since the ranchers herding cows a mile or so below so I had the whole ridge to myself. Gossip Rock is a big pile of rocks with a nice canopy of trees which makes for a nice shady rest spot on a ridge that is otherwise completely open.

It didn't take too long to find the ammo box cache cleverly hidden among the rocks. I signed the first page of the empty log book and noted how beautiful the morning was with views of the bay below and lizards playing on the rocks around me. I lounged on the rocks for a few minutes and then decided I should head out if I wanted to make it home in time to take a shower before going into work at 1PM. After a slight detour and some birdwatching I quickly made it back to my car. Flight 615 would have to wait for a different day.