Rocky Mountaineer Part 2
This is Part 2 of our Rocky Mountaineer adventure, my bucket list birthday treat! We did the First Passage to the West, traveling eastbound from Vancouver to Lake Louise, with an overnight in Kamloops. For Part 1, click HERE.
Train Day 2
The bus came to pick us up at the hotel at 5:50am! Our larger bags had been checked straight though to the endpoint of our route, so with just a small backpack each, and the promise of a nice breakfast on the train, it wasn’t too hard to be ready on time.
Our train departed at 7:00am. As we left Kamloops, it was hard to miss the large smokestack spewing huge clouds of smoke. It was a large pulp and paper mill, and the stack was built high on the hillside to spare the town from odors and pollutants. Forestry is a big industry for the town, but it’s too bad the residents have to live with that smoke.
Speaking of smoke, soon after left Kamloops we passed by a small but still active wildfire, a common summer occurrence in this area. When we were clear of the smoke, we could see beautiful Shuswap Lake, with its 600+ miles of shoreline. It was July 1, Canada Day, and there were many people out on boats, enjoying their holiday. Then the train began to ascend, and we were surrounded by mountains! To the left were the Rocky Mountains, and to the right were the Columbia Mountains. We spotted more ospreys and eagles, and a small herd of bighorn sheep. The water in the lakes and rivers was a milky color, due to rock flour from the glacier above. The highest point of our journey was the Continental Divide, elevation 5,332 feet.
(View this on a computer to see the captions, or scroll down to skip the slide show.)
Our train traveled through many tunnels. The longest was the five-mile Connaught Tunnel through Mount Macdonald. The most interesting were the Spiral Tunnels, which in 1909 replaced the dangerously steep (4.5% gradient) “Big Hill.” The new tunnels lengthened the track and reduced the gradient. Thought it was still steep (2.2% gradient), it was much less treacherous. To be honest, I couldn’t feel the curve or the ascent when we were inside the tunnels. But it was cool, because the Rocky Mountaineer is the only passenger train that passes through the Spiral Tunnels.
At breakfast, we sat with the couple from Los Angeles again. Sander reminisced about camping in a rain forest (definitely NOT with Christina). At lunch, we met a retired couple from Niagara Falls, Canada. They lived on a small compound with their kids and grandkids, and it was their first visit to Western Canada. Rick had worked for GM for many years; now his passion was woodworking. Bonnie remarked that Rick was a wonderful GRANDfather. They had a daughter with an interesting name: Cinnamin.
There were delays on Day 2 as we were forced to wait behind other trains needing repairs. Around 6:00pm, the crew served us a light dinner at our seats. By the time we reached the station in Lake Louise, it was nearly 9:00pm, and we had been on the train for well over twelve hours. Our reward was a hotel room with a fantastic view of Lake Louise!
Our trip on the Rocky Mountaineer was one I will always remember - a luxurious train, delicious meals, and first class service. I especially loved seeing the diversity, variety, and majestic beauty of the land in Western Canada.
For my impressions of the experience and tips for those considering it, see Part 3.
