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Trip Report

Guemes Channel and Ship Harbor — Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021

Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
Panoramic view west. Photo by Marin.

A repeat of a hike my buddy Marin and I did several weeks ago on July 10. Again, we parked at Roadside Park along Spur Hwy 20 in Anacortes, opposite Kansas Ave.

We had the small park to ourselves, although there were a few cars in the lot. We descended the wooden staircase to reach the waterside Guemes Channel Trail.

It was a beautiful sunny day with pleasant temperatures and very little wind.

We hiked the Guemes Channel Trail east to the trail's end at the locked gate and private property boundary, then reversed direction and hiked through to the western end of the trail near the ferry terminal. We returned east to the stairway, and back up to our car.

Wildflower season really is past now, apart from an occasional lone buttercup or aster.

Thimbleberries and salmon berries mostly have been picked, and the remaining berries are drying out and not very tasty. The late Himalayan blackberries are ripening.

Deciduous trees are beginning to drop a few leaves, although Fall will not be here officially for over two more weeks.

We saw no eagles today, although the usual great blue herons were foraging on the rocky section of the beach. A few crows appeared for us, and the swallows were soaring around seeking insects near the cattail marsh.

A thin fog bank was evident to the west and north of the channel, curling up onto Guemes Island.

We encountered a few other hikers today, mostly unmasked. It was a great day to be out. Visibility was good and bugs were not a problem.

View north. Quantum Guru photo.
First leaves down on boardwalk. Quantum Guru photo.
Small rock and heron. Photo by Marin.
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