Vancouver Bound

Leaving Kamloops was interesting.  We'd been told to leave our suitcases where we'd found them in the room when we arrived, room keys on the night stand, and that everything would be looked after for us.  All we had to do was be ready to leave the hotel at the prescribed time and our coach would take us back to the train.

During the night, additional cars had been added so that passengers who had different travel itineraries could also travel to Vancouver. As one who worked for a tour company many years ago, I was intrigued by the combinations and permutations that are offered by Rocky Mountaineer, and the logistics of combining and separating different travel parties according to their travel choices.  It is a very accommodating company!

We also changed tracks in Kamloops.  We had been travelling on the CPR line, but from Kamloops to Vancouver we were travelling on the CNR line.

We were told that from the earliest days CP and CN were bitter rivals.  CP built the first line and took the easiest route which meant that the later CN had the harder task when they came to build their line.  It was complicated further by treachery and sabotage by CP.  It continued for many years until finally sense prevailed and they declared a truce.  One of the results was that each company agreed to let trains from the other company run on their lines.  It was this agreement that prompted our change to the other line.  From Kamloops to Vancouver, trains travelling west do so on the CNR line, while trains travelling east use the CPR line.  This makes for a much better flow of freight traffic -- and it meant that we didn't spend time on a siding waiting for a freight train to pass.  We did see the freight trains that were travelling east -- but they were across the river from us, and we enjoyed seeing them far more in that location!

   As I said before - those freight trains are LONG!

And now we're into the Coast Mountains.  My geography classes were so long ago that I didn't remember all these different mountain ranges.  But whether it was a refresher course, or new knowledge, I still found it both interesting and confusing.  There was simply too much information about the characteristics of each range for me to be able to retain it all!  

But we got into interesting geography, and long curves that let me show you the back of our train (those extra cars really helped out!)

And yes, you can see the changing character of the mountains (or their changing characteristics, if you prefer!)

We also saw signs of rock slides on either side of the tracks and also of the changing colours of some of the mountains, depending upon which mineral(s) were embedded in the rock.

 Lots of information, but mostly we looked and marvelled and enjoyed.

We're following the Thompson River on its way to join with the Fraser River ...

Oh my, look where we're going!  And in case you wondered, yes they have rock slides in this area -- see how they've protected the track?

More rainbow colouring courtesy of the mineral content.

And yes, those people keep following us! ;-)

I don't remember the significance of the teepees (tipis) -- will see if my friend does.

Here is the Thompson River:

And here is the Fraser:

We're on our way to the meeting of the two ...

The narrowing walls make it easy to believe the water action as it is forced through at Hell's Gate

 But as the walls widen, the water calms, and we are left with a calmer, more sluggish picture of the Fraser ... and the pretty blue-green of the Thompson disappears.

Another trestle bridge,

A farm nestled in against a mountain

A truck whizzing by

A last, semi-rural scene

And in seeming minutes we are pulling into the station, and saying good-bye to the Rocky Mountaineer, and hello to Vancouver.




The end of another chapter, but the beginning of a new one!