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.

Racing The Sun (aka Lucky Charms)

Dogmoose Tower

Forty-Nine Rainbows

Lucky Dawg

Direct South Face

Third Time's a Charm

[Redacted]

Moosecat

Tranquility

Half Time

Swink

Quien Sabe

Wandering Winnebago

Unknown Choss

Wanderin' into Lichtenstein

Chossy Choad

This climb is way up on the left side of the rock.

Follow a ramp to face to the obvious left leaning Crack.

Short bolted route on a small buttress just east of Moosedog Tower.

This bolted face climb is down and slightly left of Swink...and across  (west) of Dogmoose Tower.  It is behind campsite #81.

This route initially ascends the crack in between "Lucky Charms" and "Third Time's a Charm" on the soutwest face of Moosedog Tower.  The initial crack leads up to a small stance (You can see this feature in the picture of moosedog tower, directly in between "Lucky Charms" and "Third Time's a Charm" where there is a broken out piece of rock.)  From the stance, continue straight up the rock face (thin, unprotected climbing) to the spot where "Lucky Charms" and "Third Time's a Charm" intersect.  Make you last piece of gear bomber before you embark up the face!

This route starts out of the boulders at the base of the south face, in a prominent left-facing dihedral with an obvious roof capping it. Can't miss it.

Pitch 1: Climb the dihedral to the roof crack, set some gear and pull the crux move (burly 5.9) up and over the right corner of the roof. Easy climbing up the seriously featured face above to a bolt. Belay.

Pitch 2: Climb out of the alcove above the belay, taking the very obvious left-leaning crack (5.7). After angling up and left, the crack goes vertical. Continue up and over into a notch below the upper part of the tower. Belay (#2, #3 Camalots good here).

Pitch 3: A short face section (5.6) leads up and left to gain the bottom of an easy crack leading to the summit ridge. Once on the ridge, run the rope via the easiest route across to the anchor bolts at the back of Moosedog.

Single line rap off the back of the tower from bolts.

A short way up the gully to the left of the

Direct South Face

(5.9) is a diagonal crack that runs across most of this face. Climb up some rather poor rock to attain this crack, (don't let this disuade you the rest of the route is stellar!). Follow the crack with a couple of difficult moves near the top, one protected by a bolt. Belay where the route intersects Racing The Sun (AKA Lucky Charms. Continue on that route to the top.

Pitch 1: Same start as Third Times a Charm, but after 20 feet, climb straight up.  Climb series of flakes/cracks (5.7+) on the steep wall up to the big ledge on the Middle Summit. Two 3-inch CDs are useful for the belay anchor.

Pitch 2: Climb the left side of the slab past one bolt up to the "True Summit" ridge. It's 5.9 R to get to the bolt, then 5.8 R above the bolt.

Friction-walk or lieback your way up the right-leaning ramp to the base of the the corner.  Work your way up the slowly tapering 3" crack for 15' to the top.  Short burly climb, but really fun.  Crux is based on hand-size.  If anyone knows the name to this one please correct it.  I've been unable to locate any beta on this one.

Tranquility goes up the toe of the south buttress of Moosedog Tower. Start below and slightly to the right of Direct South Face, on the left edge of the narrow southeast face (starting up the right side of that face as misdrawn in some guidebooks is harder and more runout).  After about 20 ft, follow obvious juggy easy terrain to diagonal up and left to a big ledge just below an intimidating-looking steep arete on the left (directly above the left side of the big roof on Direct South Face).  DO NOT GO STRAIGHT UP MIDDLE OF FACE TO THE ALCOVE WITH THE BOLTS ABOUT 50 FT UP, which is usu done as part of Direct South Face, at about 5.8 to pull the roof above those bolts to slant up and left, and much harder to curve right and wrap around that right side to go up to the 1st "summit."  Stay on-route by climbing the exposed left arete, which goes much easier than it looks, at actually 5.5, and is protectable, albeit via pumpy placement stances due to the steepness.  Veer up and rightward above that to the 1st "summit."  Behind and above the sub-summit notch, make a few heady moves up a slabby face to gain a wide but juggy left-slanting crack to reach the true summit.Moosedog has a nice summit and a fun, free-hanging rappel descent at its far backside.Tranquility is easy and fun if able to stay on-route.  Beware that some guidebooks had this route misdrawn over the years.Although a 60m rope will reach to the top, most climbers divide this into two pitches to alleviate rope drag. If you're comfortable on runout 5.6 slab, there's no need to build the intermediate belay -- just don't place any pieces on the second pitch, or place and sling them VERY long.

Easy climbing leads to a crux section with 2 bolts. Low angle easy stuff up top to the anchors. You could supplement the top and bottom if you are not comfortable with the runouts.

In the middle of the east face, there's a right angling weakness. Take the best looking line. Two pitches to the top. Rap from the standard Moosedog rap bolts off the north side.

This is one of the best routes on the formation, and certainly the route with the best name.  Start at the same place as Direct South Face and climb up to the large roof.  Traverse left under the roof, do an exposed move around the corner (crux), and climb up exposed rock to a belay.  Continue to the top.  Rappel off to descend

I include this route only because it looks enticing, but is complete junk.  Chalk is conspicuous on the large blocky flake between the roof of Wandering Winnebago and the line Third Time's a Charm.  It looks fun.  Unfortunately, that blocky flake is about ready to fall down -- you'd be crazy to put a cam behind it, and even standing or pulling on it is probably unwise.  Choss below.  No good gear on the bottom half, so you're free soloing on highly suspect rock.  What looks to be an interesting crack diagonal and then vertical is really quite easy and not interesting.  Maybe one or two fun moves on the entire route.  Stay off -- there are much better and much safer routes nearby.

This might not be the first ascent, but we couldn't find it in any books. This route starts as "Lucky Dawg" and is between "Lucky Charms" and "Third Time's a Charm". Go up the ramp, and take the obvious crack up the wall. Instead of moving up over the face, take the left leaning crack. The crux is getting into that crack.

The route is still dirty and lots of foot holds break off. Make sure the second wears a helmet! But with some traffic, that might become a nice route.

Not a great route by any means...

Has a couple fun moves. Otherwise a BOMB!

Description

Protection

Routes in Moosedog Tower