Guemes Mountain is on Geumes Island. Guemes is one of the San Juan Islands, but is in Skagit County. It is a very short ferry ride across Guemes Channel from Anacortes on a Skagit County ferry.
Nothing to do with the mountain but this layer of organic rich muck pulled up by blown over trees along Eden Road was a pretty cool site.
The trail up the mountain is a moderate climb on a well established trail through a mixed forest stand.
The summit provides nearly 360 degree views:
The view of Anacortes is a reminder that despite the ferry ride and hike, the big city is not far away
View west along Eden Road with Cypress Island in the distance.
Cypress is another San Juan Island that is in Skagit County. Most of Cypress is owned by the State of Washington and is managed as a Natural Resource Conservation Area. No ferry service to Cypress.
Jack Island with Lummi Island in the distant right
Jack Island is managed as a natural area by the San Juan Preservation Trust (https://sjpt.org/preserves-easements/jack-island/). It is a rather well hidden island as Guemes blocks the view from Anacortes and the small island blends into the background of other more distant islands when viewed from other angles.
Eliza Island
Eliza is in Whatcom County in the southern part of Bellingham Bay.
Samish Island.
Samish Island is another Skagit County Island. The island is connected to the mainland due to the presence of dikes that hold tidal water out of a quarter mile neck of former tideland. Hence, no ferry is needed to get to Samish.
The summit of Guemes is underlain by intrusive rocks of the Fildago Ophiolite. The specific rocks of the ophiolite on Guemes Mountain are sheet-like igneous intrusions of granite, diorite, andesite and basalt - likely the roots of an island volcanic arc built up on the underlying ocean crust.
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