Racing The Sun (aka Lucky Charms)

The 1970 Wolfe guide book only had a handfull of routes outside of HVCG. The only climbs in Indian Cove mentioned were "a short practice wall" and The California Crack A3, F6. There was also a sentence that led some of us to assume that the rock wasn't very good here. One evening I talked John into taking a detour on the way home to check it out.

In our "altered" state, the second we saw Moosedog we had to get to the top of it. The most impressive line (Tranquility) was out of the question as we had only about an hour of daylight left. I spoted a shorter line up the draw and off we went. The first pitch went fast, and we were soon at the belay, (where 3rd Times A Charm Intersects). I couldn't get a good pin placement at the crux, but I had been experimenting with these things the Brit's called chocks and got a home made nut in. (I think it was the first one I placed because I had to).

We walked across the top just as night fell, looking for rappel anchors. Astonishingly a block at the summit was festooned with rap slings, some many years old. We rappelled into the blackness and headed for home, jazzed that we had done it tempered with the disappointment that we weren't the first ones on top.

Description:Start at a ramp about 50' below the notch. Go up a left facing book. Just above where 3rd Times A Charm intersects is the crux. This climb can proabably be done as one long pitch with a 60M rope, but the rope drag and communication problems make it best done as two short pitches.

Standard trad rack