The Nipple

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The Nipple
The Nipple, California.jpg
East aspect
Highest point
Elevation 9,342 ft (2,847 m) [1]
Prominence 702 ft (214 m) [2]
Parent peak Round Top (10,381ft) [3]
Isolation 1.57 mi (2.53 km) [4]
Coordinates 38°38′24″N119°55′59″W / 38.6399530°N 119.9330097°W / 38.6399530; -119.9330097 [5]
Geography
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The Nipple
Location in California
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The Nipple
The Nipple (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State California
County Alpine
Protected area Mokelumne Wilderness
Parent range Sierra Nevada [2]
Topo map USGS Carson Pass
Climbing
Easiest route class 2+ scrambling [4]

The Nipple is a 9,342-foot-elevation (2,847-meter) mountain summit in Alpine County, California, United States.

Contents

Description

The Nipple is located in the Mokelumne Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The summit is situated 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of Carson Pass and 3.73 miles (6.00 km) east-southeast of Round Top. [2] It is set on the boundary shared by Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest and Eldorado National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the peak's north and east slopes drains into tributaries of the Carson River, whereas the south slope drains to Mokelumne River via Middle, Blue, and Deer creeks. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 1,200 feet (370 meters) above Upper Blue Lake in 0.7 miles (1.1 km). The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the southern slope of this peak, providing an approach from California State Route 88. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, [5] and has been recorded in publications since at least 1899. [6]

Southwest aspect of The Nipple viewed from Upper Blue Lake. Summit in upper right. The Nipple from Upper Blue Lake.jpg
Southwest aspect of The Nipple viewed from Upper Blue Lake. Summit in upper right.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, The Nipple is located in an alpine climate zone. [7] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.

See also

References

  1. Peter Browning, Place Names of the Sierra Nevada: From Abbot to Zumwalt, 1986, Wilderness Press, ISBN   9780899970479, p. 159.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Nipple, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  3. "The Nipple, Peakvisor.com" . Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Nipple, The - 9,342' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "The Nipple". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  6. Henry Gannett, United States Geological Survey (1899), A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, US Government Printing Office, p. 65.
  7. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica .