Gottagetgone

Gottagetgone Hiking, Cycling, Travel, Trains & Adventuring!! Sometimes you've just gotta get gone!

07/15/2024

Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 Westbound Tour through California

7/11/2024
We followed Big Boy as it arrived in Oroville, CA
Saw it through a crossing in Palermo, CA
Paced alongside it TWICE! Once for a full 5 minutes down a levy road near Marysville, CA
Saw it arrive in the yard in Roseville, CA

7/14/2024
Watched it leave from a dead stop in Roseville, CA
Followed it through Auburn, CA and across the Auburn Ravine Bridge
Shortly after the bridge, it went through a tunnel and struck a downed tree. Disabling the train for several hours as they did repairs on site.

The train had a passenger car full of passengers too. I’m sure that was a wild ride. After a several hour delay, it cancelled stops in Colfax and Truckee and continued on to Sparks, NV.

As always an incredible sight to see. This steam locomotive is amazing!

We’ve seen 7 of the 8 remaining Big Boy Locomotives. Seeing number 8 in two months. Can’t wait!

We had such a great time watching this beauty come through our state and pacing it for as long as we did was thrilling!!

05/27/2024

What a great way to kick off summer!

This trail is one of my favorite trails as it is only about 20 minutes from my home.

There are so many options of hiking 3 or 4 miles or as many as 20!

Starts near Folsom Lake at Salmon Falls Bridge.

Today I chose an 8 mile out and back. 1,350 elevation gain.

This length gets you right down to the river, which would be a great place to enjoy lunch!




















03/12/2024

After spending a few days in Oklahoma City with everything, being flat, flat flat, we decided to head to the Wichita mountains and see what hiking we could find.

We chose the crab eyes trail and by 11 AM the parking lot was full. Luckily we asked if we could just drive in and someone happened to be leaving right when we got there so we snagged a spot parked and we’re able to jump right onto the trailhead . There are restrooms available at the trailhead also.

The beginning of the trail is concrete just for a few hundred feet and then you get right onto the dirt through the trees and a gradual, slow climb up towards the crab eyes.

Be sure to admire the views, but also pay attention to where you are stepping because there are signs of bison everywhere. As we approached the end of the trail and could see the crab eyes. We also spotted bison out in the field and took a detour to get a bit closer. We were careful to monitor their body language and they did not seem to care at all. But we kept our distance, grab some photos and back to the trail. We went only to discover some bones scattered around. They were large, and can only assume they are bison.

The hike out was beautiful with views in the other direction that we didn’t notice on the way up.

We were pleasantly surprised to find this area and would recommend checking it out if you are in Oklahoma

🌳 Be sure to FOLLOW for more videos as we travel across the U.S. and abroad!

05/21/2023

This was quite an adventure. The Grand Canyon is a bucket list item, or was and when I scored an overnight permit from the waiting list it became even more epic.

My day started with a 5am flight, rental car delays, 4 hour drive made even longer by getting behind the highway line painting crew, then a 50 minute shuttle ride to the trailhead. I finally made it!!

I was on trail at 3pm.

I carried a full pack (50 pounds) to stay overnight at Bright Angel Campground. Most people are down this trail much faster, but with this much weight and so many stairs, it was slow going for me.

I stopped quite a few times to take pictures (catch my breath) and just kept going and going. The views were outstanding and I was able to catch a sunset over the south rim.

Then I finally saw the River!! I must be getting closer now! NOPE. I mean, I’m getting closer with every step I take, but still had a long way to go!

You’ll notice in my videos that there were very few people. By this time of day, most people have made it back out. I hiked most of this trail by myself, only seeing someone about once an hour. It was perfect. Just what I needed to really clear my mind.

And after 5 hours, 7.2 miles and 4,860 ft of elevation loss, I finally did it! I made it to the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Nearly brought tears to my eyes. Ok, maybe my knees were hurting so bad I almost cried, but you get the picture.

Once I was across the suspension bridge, I found the campground and in the dark, found a campsite right next to the river.

I quickly set up my tent, stowed my extra food in the storage box, cleaned up, made dinner and it was lights out!! I was exhausted. But I took a few minutes to take in the sound, the views and the stars! They were stunningly bright.

I wish I could have camped at least one more night, but I only had a 1 night permit.

Tomorrow is the hike back out.

Got outside for earth day! Went on a short, but tough hike on the Red Shack Trail in Placerville. 1.2 miles straight dow...
04/22/2023

Got outside for earth day! Went on a short, but tough hike on the Red Shack Trail in Placerville. 1.2 miles straight down to the American River and 1.2 miles straight back up. It’s a thigh burner! Such a beautiful time of year.

One of my favorite National Parks! If you haven’t been to Lassen Volcanic National Park, you have to add it to the top ...
04/21/2023

One of my favorite National Parks!

If you haven’t been to Lassen Volcanic National Park, you have to add it to the top of your list!

Lassen NP is not as heavily visited as many other parks, which means you don’t have to fight crowded trails. This part has so much to offer for adventurers. Bag a peak, hike to a lake, camp, mountain bike and more.

Located in Northern California east of Redding. Mount Lassen is one of the largest plug volcanoes in the world and what better way to experience it than to climb it!

The peak trail hike is amazing with its groomed, easy to follow trail, informational plaques, switchbacks and stairs!

· Total Distance hiked: about 5 miles
· Time: 3.5-4 hours, depending on stops for pictures.
· Starting elevation: 8,500 at the peak: 10,457
· Elevation gain: 1,957
· Difficulty: Moderate -strenuous because of full exposure and elevation gain.

We hiked this in September and there were plenty of snow fields as well as bare gravel trail. Wearing micro spikes felt like a luxury to have when crossing the snow fields, and although it can be done without them, it’s icy and slippery.

Entrance into the park is $30 per car, good for 7 days. Or use your America the Beautiful pass for $0 admission.

Enjoy!

While everyone is heading towards the California superbloom, I was went the other direction as I was craving crisp mount...
04/17/2023

While everyone is heading towards the California superbloom, I was went the other direction as I was craving crisp mountain air and pine trees.

Jenkinson Lake in Po***ck Pines, CA is a fantastic recreation area for camping, fishing, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking.

Today I chose to hike the full lake loop trail. It’s a great trail that hugs the shoreline the entire circumference of the lake.

Total Distance hiked: 8.9 miles
Time: 3.5 hours with lots of picture taking.
Starting elevation: 3,400 ft
Elevation gain was nominal: 500 ft
Difficulty: Moderate for distance and uneven footing.

When you arrive at the lake, you can park just outside the entrance gate for free. There are several other areas to park for free along the road by the bridge, but come early and this larger parking area near the front gate has spaces available.

Otherwise, the lake entrance fee is $15

Jenkinson Lake is owned and operated by El Dorado Irrigation District so the California Poppy Pass will not work here.

I asked the ranger if there was an official “trailhead”. He said no, just head towards the water and get on the trail at any point. Which is exactly what I did. Easy peasy.

The trail has lots of small rolling hills and it very easy to follow. Because this is also a camping area, you have to detour around a couple of campsites, but it’s well marked. This is a multi use, so watch out for mountain bikers. Other than that, it’s mostly hikers and the occasional camper with a fishing pole.

Enjoy!

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Medicine Park, OK

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