Fun and completely free from crowds. Easy traverse down from E into the saddle to Bull, and a very gradual and nice walk to meet up with the trail in the basin. Well spaced trees helped the latter.
Liba Kopeckova - May 9, 2020 7:14 pm Date Climbed: May 8, 2020
solo hike with Dyer
snow only lower done, the upper half of the mountain was snow free.
Senad Rizvanovic - May 29, 2016 8:01 pm Date Climbed: May 28, 2016
Beautiful spring hike
Beautiful spring hike, amazing views of Sawatch Range.
telemarkdude - Jun 2, 2014 2:13 am Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2014
Echo Canyon
Snow rapidly melting. Made the creek crossing rather interesting.
Sarah Simon - Jan 20, 2014 12:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 19, 2014
Southeast Ridge
Wow, what an absolutely amazing January day - 1 cloud in the sky the entire trip. Mike, you are a trench-busting super hero!!! Crazy man plowed through dense snow like a bulldozer. Incredible Sawatch winter scenery from the top. Started in daylight, ended in daylight. GREAT day!
Another beautiful winter day, some tough trailbreaking as the broken trail went off towards Elbert leaving us to fend for ourselves on Bull Hill. Climbed with Sarah.
DanielL - Oct 10, 2013 8:28 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2011
From Elbert
Climbed Elbert's standard route, then dropped down the Black Cloud route for about 1000' vertical and climbed up Bull Hill from there. Cool climb, lots of elevation gain!
theREALCarpeDM - Apr 7, 2013 2:58 am Date Climbed: Apr 6, 2013
Echo Canyon
Posthole nightmare! Our experience sounds a bit like Scott's a few days ago. We missed a turn on the trail and ended up bushwhacking a lot. The day was warm, so the snowpack couldn't support us. We postholed most of the way up to the ridge and down. Twice the posthole snow collapsed on my snowshoe so that I couldn't pull it out. Another time, I fell when postholing and my snowshoe came off.
Scott - Mar 30, 2013 10:23 pm Date Climbed: Mar 29, 2013
Bull
I met Ben, Bethany, Brian and two dogs at the trailhead and we headed up the mountain. There was some confusion about finding the beginning of the route and once we did, the going wasn’t that easy. There was lots of postholing, even with snowshoes and lots of tricky side stepping. It was a bit of a struggle to reach timberline.
One we hit the timberline, the climbing was faster, but it was windy and cold. The weather really had an identity crisis today and the weather would turn anywhere from breaks of sunshine to blizzard in a matter of less than a minute. We had a mix of views and clouds, but got some peekaboo views of some of the surrounding mountains.
After enjoying the summit, we headed back down the mountain. It was a much faster trip down than it was up.
Brian Kalet - Mar 13, 2013 8:49 pm Date Climbed: Sep 29, 2007
Snow
.
ajberry - Oct 27, 2012 5:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2008
Black Cloud - Elbert - Bull
With Katie and Megan, both 11. Makes for a great day. The key thing is to stay high on Bull Hill's SE ridge when descending; you'll eventually hit an old miner's cabin at around tree line, and can then follow the miner's trail down to the Bl Cloud Trail. I've failed to pick that trail up on previous descents, and the result is a tedious bush-whack.
Matt Lemke - Mar 10, 2012 11:45 pm Date Climbed: Mar 9, 2012
Via Echo Canyon...
solo in winter. Was a beautiful calm day. The old mines were pretty cool as well.
MattK - Nov 29, 2011 2:48 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2011
From Black Cloud
Nice loop over Bull Hill, Elbert, South Elbert and Cosgriff. Had a close call with some lightning coming off Cosgriff.
Jeremy Hakes - Jul 20, 2010 5:53 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2010
Nice loop!
Nice loop of Cosgriff, S. Elbert, Elbert, Bull Hill. From Black Cloud. Saw exactly 5 people all day.
9/24/06 - Approached Bull Hill using the Black Cloud Trail. Pretty views with new snow and fall colors.
1/4/18 - Went back for a winter ascent via the Black Cloud Trail. Climbed the south slopes of South Elbert and then traversed to Bull Hill. Descended the southeast ridge which was bottomless powder below treeline. It was hard breaking trail downhill!
Climbed this one on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to burn off those turkey calories. Cold clear day with a light dusting of snow, it was -3 Fahrenheit when I left my house in the AM, I am sure it was even colder on the summit!
habaceeba - Aug 10, 2009 5:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2009
On the way to Casco
I enjoyed the class 2 climb from Echo Canyon TH past the mines. The ridge between Bull Hill and Casco Peak to the NW is easily manageable with fairly solid rock. The wind picked up while I was on the ridge and threatened to send me off the steep, jagged north side of the ridge. The terrain gets much steeper towards the summit block of Casco and that turned me around at 1/2 mile and 850 vertical feet left to go since total I had already gained over a vertical mile. I gave out and headed back down into Echo Creek valley for a bushwhack back to the trail.
BradBartick - Jul 31, 2020 3:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2020
With SE and EFun and completely free from crowds. Easy traverse down from E into the saddle to Bull, and a very gradual and nice walk to meet up with the trail in the basin. Well spaced trees helped the latter.
Liba Kopeckova - May 9, 2020 7:14 pm Date Climbed: May 8, 2020
solo hike with Dyersnow only lower done, the upper half of the mountain was snow free.
Senad Rizvanovic - May 29, 2016 8:01 pm Date Climbed: May 28, 2016
Beautiful spring hikeBeautiful spring hike, amazing views of Sawatch Range.
telemarkdude - Jun 2, 2014 2:13 am Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2014
Echo CanyonSnow rapidly melting. Made the creek crossing rather interesting.
Sarah Simon - Jan 20, 2014 12:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 19, 2014
Southeast RidgeWow, what an absolutely amazing January day - 1 cloud in the sky the entire trip. Mike, you are a trench-busting super hero!!! Crazy man plowed through dense snow like a bulldozer. Incredible Sawatch winter scenery from the top. Started in daylight, ended in daylight. GREAT day!
chicagotransplant - Jan 19, 2014 9:27 pm Date Climbed: Jan 19, 2014
Southeast RidgeAnother beautiful winter day, some tough trailbreaking as the broken trail went off towards Elbert leaving us to fend for ourselves on Bull Hill. Climbed with Sarah.
DanielL - Oct 10, 2013 8:28 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2011
From ElbertClimbed Elbert's standard route, then dropped down the Black Cloud route for about 1000' vertical and climbed up Bull Hill from there. Cool climb, lots of elevation gain!
theREALCarpeDM - Apr 7, 2013 2:58 am Date Climbed: Apr 6, 2013
Echo CanyonPosthole nightmare! Our experience sounds a bit like Scott's a few days ago. We missed a turn on the trail and ended up bushwhacking a lot. The day was warm, so the snowpack couldn't support us. We postholed most of the way up to the ridge and down. Twice the posthole snow collapsed on my snowshoe so that I couldn't pull it out. Another time, I fell when postholing and my snowshoe came off.
Scott - Mar 30, 2013 10:23 pm Date Climbed: Mar 29, 2013
BullI met Ben, Bethany, Brian and two dogs at the trailhead and we headed up the mountain. There was some confusion about finding the beginning of the route and once we did, the going wasn’t that easy. There was lots of postholing, even with snowshoes and lots of tricky side stepping. It was a bit of a struggle to reach timberline.
One we hit the timberline, the climbing was faster, but it was windy and cold. The weather really had an identity crisis today and the weather would turn anywhere from breaks of sunshine to blizzard in a matter of less than a minute. We had a mix of views and clouds, but got some peekaboo views of some of the surrounding mountains.
After enjoying the summit, we headed back down the mountain. It was a much faster trip down than it was up.
Brian Kalet - Mar 13, 2013 8:49 pm Date Climbed: Sep 29, 2007
Snow.
ajberry - Oct 27, 2012 5:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2008
Black Cloud - Elbert - BullWith Katie and Megan, both 11. Makes for a great day. The key thing is to stay high on Bull Hill's SE ridge when descending; you'll eventually hit an old miner's cabin at around tree line, and can then follow the miner's trail down to the Bl Cloud Trail. I've failed to pick that trail up on previous descents, and the result is a tedious bush-whack.
Matt Lemke - Mar 10, 2012 11:45 pm Date Climbed: Mar 9, 2012
Via Echo Canyon...solo in winter. Was a beautiful calm day. The old mines were pretty cool as well.
MattK - Nov 29, 2011 2:48 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2011
From Black CloudNice loop over Bull Hill, Elbert, South Elbert and Cosgriff. Had a close call with some lightning coming off Cosgriff.
Jeremy Hakes - Jul 20, 2010 5:53 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2010
Nice loop!Nice loop of Cosgriff, S. Elbert, Elbert, Bull Hill. From Black Cloud. Saw exactly 5 people all day.
SarahThompson - Sep 15, 2009 7:59 pm Date Climbed: Sep 24, 2006
Black Cloud Trail9/24/06 - Approached Bull Hill using the Black Cloud Trail. Pretty views with new snow and fall colors.
1/4/18 - Went back for a winter ascent via the Black Cloud Trail. Climbed the south slopes of South Elbert and then traversed to Bull Hill. Descended the southeast ridge which was bottomless powder below treeline. It was hard breaking trail downhill!
chicagotransplant - Aug 11, 2009 4:59 pm Date Climbed: Nov 24, 2007
Turkey Burn OffClimbed this one on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to burn off those turkey calories. Cold clear day with a light dusting of snow, it was -3 Fahrenheit when I left my house in the AM, I am sure it was even colder on the summit!
habaceeba - Aug 10, 2009 5:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2009
On the way to CascoI enjoyed the class 2 climb from Echo Canyon TH past the mines. The ridge between Bull Hill and Casco Peak to the NW is easily manageable with fairly solid rock. The wind picked up while I was on the ridge and threatened to send me off the steep, jagged north side of the ridge. The terrain gets much steeper towards the summit block of Casco and that turned me around at 1/2 mile and 850 vertical feet left to go since total I had already gained over a vertical mile. I gave out and headed back down into Echo Creek valley for a bushwhack back to the trail.