| The Nipple | |
| Elevation Ft: | 9342 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 702 |
| Prominence Ref: | [2] |
| Isolation Mi: | 1.57 |
| Isolation Ref: | [3] |
| Parent Peak: | Round Top (10,381ft)[4] |
| Map: | California#USA |
| Map Size: | 240 |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Mokelumne Wilderness |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| Region: | Alpine |
| Region Type: | County |
| Range: | Sierra Nevada |
| Coordinates: | 38.64°N -119.933°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [5] |
| Topo: | USGS Carson Pass |
| Easiest Route: | scrambling |
The Nipple is a 9,342-foot-elevation (2,847 meter) mountain summit in Alpine County, California, United States.
The Nipple is located in the Mokelumne Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The summit is situated 4.5miles southeast of Carson Pass and 3.73miles 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 1200abbr=offNaNabbr=off above Upper Blue Lake in 0.7 mile (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]
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.