Gemini Mountain

November 2, 2024

~ submitted by Matthew Lettington

We had a glorious trip planned up Sadie Peak from the west (Nitnat) side. A week earlier, Phil and I explored this approach and discovered that the old road was drivable to nearly 1000 metres, provided that one doesn’t care a lick about their paint. I was primed to do this peak again without the long, busier approach from the Nitnat-Nanaimo Lakes pass. Things didn’t go as expected. 

Just 2 kilometres from my house, my water pump decided to give up, drenching the Jeep’s cooling system and killing my power steering. It was a challenging journey back home, with the vehicle on the brink of overheating. But I was not alone in this. I called Chris, who kindly agreed to pick me up, showing the true spirit of friendship. With our camaraderie, we set out to create a new plan, undeterred by the unexpected turn of events. 

Fortunately, the week before, Phil and I explored the route to Gemini to ensure it was still intact after the 100 MM of rain the week I had to cancel that trip. It was, and so this day, we made the best of a crumby situation and headed for Gemini Mountain!

We made it to within 80 metres of the regular parking area, where about 2″ of snow stopped our progress. From this point on, we were on soft snow. Each step plugged to the ground, even as we reached the highest elevations, where some steps had me in the snow to just below my knee! 

The cold weather had its perks. The snow, frozen throughout the day, created a picturesque scene. Instead of turning into a drizzle that would have soaked us to the bone, it formed a beautiful rhyme on the conifers, adding to the charm of our adventure. 

At the second summit, we could see just a hint of the peaks in the distance. I pointed to the clouds and listed the nearby and far-off features that would have been visible through the shroud. What a great day for this Ridge Ramble. 

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