ON TRACK WITH ROCKY MOUNTAINEER
From Vancouver to Banff, take in the sights and the nation’s history
“Eyes right, bighorn sheep at the cliff-top,” said Kristen, one of our hosts aboard the Rocky Mountaineer.
The locomotive engineer slowed the train to a crawl as we frantically clicked our cameras, which is about the only thing we do for ourselves for two days, besides tilting our recliners and walking down the spiral staircase from our glassdomed car to the dining room.
On our second day of this 600-kilometre journey from Vancouver to Banff, the terrain has changed from the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley to sandy plateaus and scrubby hills past Kamloops (where we stayed overnight).
After a breakfast of fruit compote, croissants and eggs benny with smoked salmon, we were a few gin and tonics away from the postcard views of snow-capped mountains and glaciers as we got to Yoho National Park and the spiral tunnels, an engineering marvel that evoked oohs and aahs, followed by a paparazzi-style clamour for photos on the open-air platform downstairs.
These tunnels were constructed in 1907 due to a tricky 21-kilometre stretch of train-unfriendly terrain between Field and Hector.
The lower tunnel turns 230 degrees and is 877 metres long; its end is 17 metres higher than its entrance. The Upper Spiral turns 250 degrees, runs 976 metres and comes out 15 metres higher than its entrance. I know this because our knowledgeable host Candice told us. And this was part of our quiz: at 3,892 metres, Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Commentary accompanies everything, from Hells Gate to Mount Robson to the fauna and flora.
Throughout the journey we learned how important the railway was to Canada’s history as we passed places such as Craigellachie, where the last spike was driven to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885.
We crossed the Continental Divide near Lake Louise with ample notice for another photo opportunity. Here is the highest point on our journey at 1,626 metres above sea level, and it’s the boundary between Banff National Park in Alberta and Yoho National Park in B.C.
Everyone was in high spirits; strangers yesterday were chums today. Women were exchanging recipes while men were talking golf and classic cars. Everyone complained that they ate too much until snacks appeared along with cocktails.
“Whenever there was a lull, the staff found a way to brighten us up, whether it was a silly joke or a sing-along and not the least bit tacky,” said Dorothy King from Tampa, Fla.
She and her husband Steve said they found the train more luxurious than expected, and were glad they opted for the Gold Service.
We met a few compatriots, but most people were visiting Canada for the first time — combining the train journey with an Alaska cruise or a road trip from Banff to see more of the Rockies — and they were awestruck.
It made me realize how we should be tourists in our own “backyard” more often. And lots of email addresses were exchanged. “Patrick and Leslie have invited us to their home in Montana, and they already booked another trip on the Rocky Mountaineer, this time going to Jasper,” King said. “They can’t get enough of this scenery.”
We loved that the Rocky Mountaineer staff arranged to have overnight bags delivered to our rooms before checking into our hotel in Kamloops. It’s like a land cruise; you can’t help but relax and to get off the grid without Wi-Fi. (Yes, you can do it, and you’ll feel better disconnecting for a few days.)