Rachael, Scot and I did a loop from the ski area parking lot up Bull of the Woods trail, Gold Hill trail to summit, then back down via Long Canyon. Nice quick day before a long drive home.
Alan Ellis - Aug 22, 2017 3:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2017
Easy yet spectacular!
Very easy hike from Goose Lake. The views of Wheeler Peak are spectacular. Fun Jeep road!
birdhead - Jun 4, 2016 11:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2016
Long Canyon
There was significant snow remaining in Long Canyon. The warm weather made the snow quite soft, so it was a pretty bad slog up the canyon. Once above treeline things cleared. Nice views of the other peaks in the Taos area, Latir Peaks, and Southern Colorado.
bvandenzen - Jun 23, 2013 10:21 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2013
Quick Climb through furious wind
Quick climb up from Goose Lake through insane, angry wind (50+ mph). Thanks goodness for the wind shelter built on the peak!
canichol - Aug 29, 2010 6:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2010
Bull-of-the-Woods trail and back via Long Canyon
Chased off the top by a storm rolling in from the west.
Woke up at 9 am and found out we weren't going to the Crestones so I rolled out of bed and headed to the Ski Valley. Started at 10:10, which was a little late for my taste, especially with the rainy forecast. Luckily, a young woman was going to run the Bull of the Woods Trail so I tagged along. She veered for Wheeler so we split ways. I ended up making the summit by 11:50 am as the clouds started gaining mass. I returned via the Long Canyon Trail by 1:25 pm with plenty of good scenery to think about the rest of the day.
Alex Wood - Jul 14, 2010 9:24 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2010
Finally
To cut driving from Philmont, we decided to do Goose Creek Trail outside of Red River. It was a beautiful trail, but very very long. We started on the 13th and had planned to get up to Goose Lake, but it was raining and raining so we stopped at about the 3rd meadow (around 10k) along the trail. Started at 7am the next morning, got to the summit of Gold Hill just after 9am. Some darkish clouds rolled in, so I jogged to the unranked 12er and the ranked 12er to make it a 3 peak day. We saw bighorn sheep, a fox, marmots, elk, deer, snow bird thingy (looked like a chicken) and pika. This was the most wildlife I have ever seen on any summit attempt. Beautiful area!
strudolyubov - Jul 11, 2009 4:47 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2009
Gold Hill via Bull-of -the-Woods
Climbed Gold Hill from Bull-of-the-Woods TH. Lots of snow on the way from BoW to the ridge. Lots of bighorns on the summit ridge. Clear skies, great views!
AFmountaineer - Sep 20, 2008 11:41 am Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2008
Great Hike
Climbed Gold Hill twice this summer. First time on July 3 we summited via long canyon and saw a huge black bear at timberline. We made the mistake of going down bull of the woods and walked through snow until the meadow, long canyon was clear of snow.
scotthsu - Sep 20, 2008 1:31 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2003
Out and back
A nice hike, up via Bull-of-the-Woods (#64) and back via Long Canyon (#63). Gorgeous day but darn windy on the summit. Saw a huge herd of bighorn sheep just before the summit.
lizrdboy - Apr 2, 2007 11:13 pm Date Climbed: Mar 31, 2007
Winter Ski Trip
Williams Lake area was unstable, so we headed up Gold Hill from Bull-O-The-Woods. It seemed like a long hump, but the views were spectacular. We were beat by the time we topped the awesome false summit and looked on toward the ugly real summit in disbelief. Another 15 minutes and we were there. In the stiff cold wind, we tagged the summit cairn and headed down. The top was good skiing, but the woods just above the Bull Meadow, was cement. We traversed to the trail and skinned back. Good fun.
Route Climbed: Bull of the Woods Date Climbed: October 12, 2003
I wanted to bag a new and challenging peak, without the crowds. I found myself alone atop Gold Hill, where spectacular views abound. For details on routes and other handy (I hope) info, see the trip report.
Route Climbed: Goose Lake Trail #66 Date Climbed: June 14, 2003
I was out fourwheeling with some friends who wanted to stop and eat lunch at Goose Lake. I took the opportunity to summit with my wife and one of my friends . Since the trip wasn't really planned, we summited at 4:30 pm with an ominous thunderstorm building in the west. We got some cool pictures of some big horn sheep (which seemed unusually friendly) and some informational pics of the switchbacks that lead up out of the Goose Lake basin.
Route Climbed: Bull of the Woods trail Date Climbed: July 1995
Climbed with my wife and father on a beautiful, clear day in July. Awesome views from the summit in all directions. The views here are just as good as those from Wheeler Peak, but hardly anyone climbs Gold Hill.
chicagotransplant - May 21, 2018 8:31 am Date Climbed: May 20, 2018
Loop hike from Ski ValleyRachael, Scot and I did a loop from the ski area parking lot up Bull of the Woods trail, Gold Hill trail to summit, then back down via Long Canyon. Nice quick day before a long drive home.
Alan Ellis - Aug 22, 2017 3:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2017
Easy yet spectacular!Very easy hike from Goose Lake. The views of Wheeler Peak are spectacular. Fun Jeep road!
birdhead - Jun 4, 2016 11:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2016
Long CanyonThere was significant snow remaining in Long Canyon. The warm weather made the snow quite soft, so it was a pretty bad slog up the canyon. Once above treeline things cleared. Nice views of the other peaks in the Taos area, Latir Peaks, and Southern Colorado.
bvandenzen - Jun 23, 2013 10:21 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2013
Quick Climb through furious windQuick climb up from Goose Lake through insane, angry wind (50+ mph). Thanks goodness for the wind shelter built on the peak!
canichol - Aug 29, 2010 6:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2010
Bull-of-the-Woods trail and back via Long CanyonChased off the top by a storm rolling in from the west.
Garon Coriz - Jul 30, 2010 8:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2010
Pretty AreaWoke up at 9 am and found out we weren't going to the Crestones so I rolled out of bed and headed to the Ski Valley. Started at 10:10, which was a little late for my taste, especially with the rainy forecast. Luckily, a young woman was going to run the Bull of the Woods Trail so I tagged along. She veered for Wheeler so we split ways. I ended up making the summit by 11:50 am as the clouds started gaining mass. I returned via the Long Canyon Trail by 1:25 pm with plenty of good scenery to think about the rest of the day.
Alex Wood - Jul 14, 2010 9:24 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2010
FinallyTo cut driving from Philmont, we decided to do Goose Creek Trail outside of Red River. It was a beautiful trail, but very very long. We started on the 13th and had planned to get up to Goose Lake, but it was raining and raining so we stopped at about the 3rd meadow (around 10k) along the trail. Started at 7am the next morning, got to the summit of Gold Hill just after 9am. Some darkish clouds rolled in, so I jogged to the unranked 12er and the ranked 12er to make it a 3 peak day. We saw bighorn sheep, a fox, marmots, elk, deer, snow bird thingy (looked like a chicken) and pika. This was the most wildlife I have ever seen on any summit attempt. Beautiful area!
strudolyubov - Jul 11, 2009 4:47 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2009
Gold Hill via Bull-of -the-WoodsClimbed Gold Hill from Bull-of-the-Woods TH. Lots of snow on the way from BoW to the ridge. Lots of bighorns on the summit ridge. Clear skies, great views!
AFmountaineer - Sep 20, 2008 11:41 am Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2008
Great HikeClimbed Gold Hill twice this summer. First time on July 3 we summited via long canyon and saw a huge black bear at timberline. We made the mistake of going down bull of the woods and walked through snow until the meadow, long canyon was clear of snow.
scotthsu - Sep 20, 2008 1:31 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2003
Out and backA nice hike, up via Bull-of-the-Woods (#64) and back via Long Canyon (#63). Gorgeous day but darn windy on the summit. Saw a huge herd of bighorn sheep just before the summit.
lizrdboy - Apr 2, 2007 11:13 pm Date Climbed: Mar 31, 2007
Winter Ski TripWilliams Lake area was unstable, so we headed up Gold Hill from Bull-O-The-Woods. It seemed like a long hump, but the views were spectacular. We were beat by the time we topped the awesome false summit and looked on toward the ugly real summit in disbelief. Another 15 minutes and we were there. In the stiff cold wind, we tagged the summit cairn and headed down. The top was good skiing, but the woods just above the Bull Meadow, was cement. We traversed to the trail and skinned back. Good fun.
Midlife Mountaineer - Jun 26, 2006 6:15 am Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2006
Route Climbed: Bull-of-the-WoodsNice hike, great views, butt cold up there today, though
tbonemel - Aug 4, 2004 9:34 am
Route Climbed: Bull-of-the-Woods Date Climbed: July 30, 2004Great hike, not very difficult, great views from the summit. Took Long's Canyon trail on the way down, very nice loop.
jasont1998 - Oct 13, 2003 12:08 am
Route Climbed: Bull of the Woods Date Climbed: October 12, 2003I wanted to bag a new and challenging peak, without the crowds. I found myself alone atop Gold Hill, where spectacular views abound. For details on routes and other handy (I hope) info, see the trip report.
charms - Jun 15, 2003 6:56 pm
Route Climbed: Goose Lake Trail #66 Date Climbed: June 14, 2003I was out fourwheeling with some friends who wanted to stop and eat lunch at Goose Lake. I took the opportunity to summit with my wife and one of my friends . Since the trip wasn't really planned, we summited at 4:30 pm with an ominous thunderstorm building in the west. We got some cool pictures of some big horn sheep (which seemed unusually friendly) and some informational pics of the switchbacks that lead up out of the Goose Lake basin.
dsnell - Jan 25, 2003 8:44 am
Route Climbed: Bull of the Woods trail Date Climbed: July 1995Climbed with my wife and father on a beautiful, clear day in July. Awesome views from the summit in all directions. The views here are just as good as those from Wheeler Peak, but hardly anyone climbs Gold Hill.