San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
RIDING THE ROCKIES
HISTORIC RAILROAD TAKES THE SCENIC ROUTE TO BANFF.
The grumpy gentleman across the aisle decided he’d rather make this journey by car, but it was a little late for that. We were three hours east of Vancouver in British Columbia’s fertile Frasier Valley, on the first of a two-day narrated train tour. In total, our train will journey the 594mile route to Banff, a town in Canada’s Rocky Mountains surrounded by some of the range’s most iconic peaks.
Running the “First Passage to the West” route, our train, the Rocky Mountaineer, runs along one of the great scenic train routes in North America. Vancouver’s urban jungle quickly gives way to the distinctly Pacific Northwestern landscapes of pine trees and mountain peaks. The train I’m on is a contemporary time capsule, a nod to the earliest period of mass land transit when luxury, personal space and appreciation for the journey were more common parts of the travel experience.
While my cantankerous fellow traveler bemoaned the lack of rest stops and photo pullouts typical of a highway road trip on the Trans-Canada Highway, I settled into my seat.
Verdant fields stretched outside our windows, and mountainous foothills were visible through the train car’s glass-domed roof. The rocking motion of the Mountaineer lulls most passengers to sleep within minutes, even as we enter the North Cascades mountain range through a series of picturesque valleys and canyons.
One staff member rouses us to narrate and highlight the various scenes we pass — a signature part of the
tour — including the gondola-crossed gorge of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon. We spot the Trans-Canada Highway across the river, and the gentleman across the aisle complains that we can’t stop to look around. The train rolls onward.
Scenic and long-distance train travel is experiencing a modest expansion as more travelers of every age discover the allure of seeing the North American countryside on rails and train operators revive old routes and modernize the rail experience.
Long-distance Amtrak routes, used for a combination of transport and sightseeing, saw minor growth of nearly 1 percent between 2017 and 2018. Ridership on the Alaska Railroad, which operates routes from Seward to Fairbanks, saw an uptick of 2.4 percent between 2016 and 2017, and nearly doubled ridership in the off- and shoulder seasons. While planes and cars continue to transport most travelers across North America, a small but growing group prefers the comfort and scenery of seeing the world from the rails. This interest spans generations. (Pinterest, for instance, reported a 136 percent increase in train travel searches among its users in 2018.)
The renewed interest can be found aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, the train that runs several routes between Seattle, Vancouver, Jasper and Banff. Since 2013, bookings for the luxury rail service have more than doubled from the United States alone.
In the GoldLeaf service tier, my car is one of a dozen connected together and winding eastward toward the towering peaks that give this train its name. Each car is an island unto itself, with individual seats on the upper deck and a dining car below.
We enjoy meals in two sittings, a series of luxurious Pacific Northwest and British Columbia dishes, including baguette French toast and roasted salmon. Each afternoon, regional wine and cheese are served, too. For most of the passengers on my car, we settle into a predictable but pleasant routine: listen to the narrated scenery; chat with seat neighbors; grab a meal or snack; nap; rinse and repeat.
The glory of scenic train travel, as I discovered over my two-day voyage, is enjoying the passing scenery unhampered by the frequent stops of commuter trains. We move along at a leisurely 30 to 40 mph — the perfect speed for absorbing the landscape as it rolls by. I practiced being present in each moment, admiring a view while letting it pass. Obsessing about a missed photograph meant missing the next one, too.
To experience this fully, I install myself in the open-air vestibule between cars. Here, the world came alive to my senses: I warmed my face in the sun as it danced out from behind the clouds; I smelled the evergreen trees; I learned the train’s language of grinding wheels on rails and the wheezes of car couplers. Rather than recline in my seat, I stood in the vestibule for most of the two-day journey. From here, I’m immersed in the sensory experience of British Columbia.
On day two, the stunning scenery passed with greater frenzy as we approached the Rocky Mountains. The air cooled and a crisp mountain scent wafted through the train. Passing through a long tunnel, we emerged into the sunlight and crossed into Alberta, arriving at our destination.
Some passengers disembark in Lake Louise, bound for the famous Fairmont Chateau on the banks of the turquoise glacier-fed lake; others stay aboard and disembark in the town of Banff, surrounded by towering peaks and its famous gondola.
One could certainly make the trip from Vancouver to Banff in half the time by car, stopping at your leisure. The Rocky Mountaineer offers an alternative: a slow but fleeting journey through the stunning and mountainous landscapes — constantly changing but never repeating.
While traveling, it’s all too easy to get caught up capturing the perfect photo or trying to preserve a moment forever. Crossing British Columbia by luxury train is a welcome reminder to live and travel in the present moment, experiencing wonder as it happens, and looking eagerly forward — rather than backward — to the next scenic moment.