Tinker Knob
Northwest aspect, from Anderson Peak
Highest point
Elevation	8,949 ft (2,728 m)[1]
Prominence	1,029 ft (314 m)[2]
Parent peak	Granite Chief (9,010 ft)[3]
Isolation	3.18 mi (5.12 km)[3]
Listing	Sierra Peaks Section
Coordinates	39°14′41″N 120°17′06″W / 39.2446348°N 120.2849300°W / 39.2446348; -120.2849300[4]
Naming
Etymology	James A. Tinker
Geography
Tinker Knob Location in California Show map of California Tinker Knob Tinker Knob (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	Placer
Parent range	Sierra Nevada[2]
Topo map	USGS Granite Chief
Geology
Age of rock	Pliocene[5]
Mountain type	Volcanic vent[6]
Type of rock	Andesite[5]
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 hiking[3]

Tinker Knob is an 8,949-foot-elevation (2,728 meter) mountain summit in Placer County, California, United States.

Description

Tinker Knob is located 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-southeast of Donner Pass and 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Lake Tahoe, on land managed by Tahoe National Forest. It is situated on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with precipitation runoff from the peak draining west to North Fork American River and east to the Truckee River via Deep Creek and Cold Creek. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 2,350 feet (720 meters) above North Fork American River in one mile. Neighbors include Anderson Peak 1.2 miles (1.9 km) northwest, Mount Lincoln 3.8 miles (6.1 km) to the northwest, and line parent Granite Chief is 3.2 miles (5.1 km) to the south. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the peak, providing an approach option from Donner Pass or Palisades Tahoe, and inclusion on the Sierra Peaks Section peakbagging list generates climbing interest.

History

This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,^[4] and has appeared in publications since at least 1874.^[7][8] The name commemorates James A. Tinker, a freight-hauling teamster whose road between Tinker's Station (now known as Soda Springs) and gold mines at Foresthill Divide passed below this peak to the west.^[9] More specifically, the landform's name is a humorous reference to a resemblance to Tinker's nose.^[10]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Tinker Knob is located in an alpine climate zone.^[11] 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.