Windy Hill Summit
Windy Hill is a grassy summit on the Skyline Ridge within the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. This peaceful summit gives you a full 360 degree view. To the east you can see across the Bay to Mt. Diablo, with Stanford's Hoover Tower and San Jose below. To the west the Santa Cruz Mountains drop toward the Pacific Ocean. On clear days you can pick out the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes to the north. In spring the hillside fills with wildflowers, and on windy days the grass moves like waves across the ridge line. Sunset is the standout time to be here. The western light catches the Santa Cruz Mountains and the sky shifts from orange to pink over the ocean. The quickest way to the summit is from the parking areas on Skyline Boulevard, where a short walk along Anniversary Trail takes you to the very short Windy Hill Summit Trail. From Portola Valley the Spring Ridge Trail is a longer and steeper climb. The preserve is open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset year round and is free to visit. The name is accurate. Wind is constant up here, so dress for it and be ready for it to affect longer exposures. Fog rolling in from the coast is common and can change the scene quickly, sometimes leaving just the hilltops visible above a white blanket. (Portola Valley, California, USA)
