5/28/07 – Gemini Peak & Dyer Mountain – Northwest Ridge, East Ridge

5.6 miles, 3100'


Erin and I were exhausted after moving into our new apartment and unpacking all day. When our alarm rang early Memorial Day morning, we nearly went back to sleep, but we somehow mustered our senses and got out the door. I'm glad we did, because we picked a nice, moody day for our climb of Gemini and Dyer. Gemini Peak was as high in elevation as I had been since hiking the Mount Evans in July of 2005, and it was higher than Erin had been since climbing Culebra Peak in September of 2004!

We hiked to the Gemini/Dyer saddle, and the ascended Gemini's northwest ridge to its many summits. Then we made the traverse to Dyer. I was amazed at Erin's strength as she charged up Dyer's east ridge, as if she had never left Colorado. We descended Dyer's southeast shoulder. Although this route was a little junky, it brought us back to the road exactly where we wanted, almost entirely avoiding postholing. We even got a decent glissade down a tongue of snow on the slopes. Afterward, we visited the Tennessee Pass Cafe for the first time, and our lunch there lived up to its many recommendations.

Mount Sheridan
Erin & Sheridan
snow trough on Gemini
Gemini Peak's tallest summit
Gemini's SW summit
Dyer Mountain
cliffs below Gemini
Mount Evans B
Gemini Peak