The Nipple

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Vaca Russ
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The Nipple

Post by Vaca Russ »

A close examination of this mountain will show you how it was named.
1 Morning.jpg
Many things in these parts have been given unusual names. The picture above is a morning shot of the mountain from the east in “Border Ruffian Flat”. This is the mountain I climbed the previous weekend.
2 Stevens.JPG
Here is my attempt at rumor mongering: This peak was named after the Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens. :D

This is a shot of the Nipple from the summit of Markleeville.
3 From Mark.jpg
The long but less steep way to summit this peak is to start at the PCT junction with Blue Lakes Road. The trail, Blue Lakes Road and Pleasant Creek all intersect at the same spot. There is a turnout for parking on the southeast side of the road.
4 Parking.JPG
The summit comes into view once you climb above the tree line.
5 Southern Approach.JPG
The PCT will take you to about 500 vertical feet below the nipple. From there you can just scramble to the top.

There are some “Whitney Window” type features along the ridge.
6 Window.JPG
This is one of the sloppiest summit registers I have ever seen. What a mess!
8 Register Mess.JPG
One must search around for a bare area of paper to sign.
9 Knar.JPG
This is a shot looking down the easy climb of the summit block or the nipple.
8 Summit Scramble.JPG
There is a great view of the Mokelumne Wilderness from this peak
10 Moke Wild.JPG
40 Oguls down, 23 to go!

Thanks for reading my post!

-Russ
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"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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maverick
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Re: The Nipple

Post by maverick »

Thanks Russ for the TR and pictures, really like the views in the last shot, looks like the snow has be melting away in that area fairly quickly.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Tom_H
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Re: The Nipple

Post by Tom_H »

Thanks Russ, This reminds me of Maggie's Peaks. I never did quite get it until we rode the big paddleboat from SLT to Emerald Bay. There's a certain location where the perspective comes into perfect bilateral symmetry and then the reason for the name becomes fully apparent.
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rlown
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Re: The Nipple

Post by rlown »

A very nice report, Russ. The girlz didn't get to go?
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cefire
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Re: The Nipple

Post by cefire »

Nice one!
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