Nadina Mountain


Nadina Mountain, is a remote granitic mountain of volcanic origins located in Nadina Mountain Provincial Park in northern British Columbia, Canada. Situated south of Houston, British Columbia, it rises 700 meters above the forested foothills of the rolling terrain of the Nechako Plateau, upon which it is the third highest peak. The peak is a striking feature on the surrounding landscape, and is theorized to have been a refugia during the last glacial period. A permanent snowfield remains on the summit plateau, along with a diverse community of lichen species, but few vascular plants due to nutritionally poor soils from the granitic substrate. Vegetation below treeline consists mostly of subalpine fir. The mountain was established as a park in 2008 due in large part to its wildlife habitat status, especially for mountain goats. The park size is 2,789 hectares. The nearest higher peak is Mount Ney, to the southwest, and precipitation runoff from Nadina drains into tributaries of the Fraser River. Based on the Köppen climate classification, Nadina Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold winters, and mild summers. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

History

Located within Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nations traditional territory, Naydeena Mountain is a place where Wet’suwet’en people would go to hunt caribou, marmot, and mountain goat. This feature was labelled as "Na-di-na Mtn" on George Mercer Dawson's 1879 Geological Survey of Canada map where it first appeared. In the Babine-Witsuwitʼen language, Na-di-na means "standing up alone", a reference to its prominent, free-standing isolation. The mountain's name was officially adopted October 6, 1936, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. The nearby Nadina River takes its name from the mountain.