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Rocky Mountaineer Exposes Canadian Winter Wonderland - 2004
Rocky Mountaineer Exposes Canadian Winter Wonderland
Story and Photos by Sue Frause
Special to The Province
Nov. 16, 2004
Arriving at Pacific Central Station in downtown Vancouver, the early December snow had switched to rain. But that didn�t dampen my spirits as I checked in for the 7 a.m. departure on Rocky Mountaineer Railtours �Snow Train.�
I had made the trip in June the year before, and was anxious to see the transformation of the summer scenery into a winter wonderland of glacier-capped mountains and snow-filled valleys. Carolers in Edwardian garb greeted travelers at the station, and shortly after departure I was handed a glass of orange juice and �BC Bubbly� by our onboard attendant.
Let the journey begin!
Now in its sixth year, the �Snow Train� is a two-day trip between Vancouver and Banff, with bus connections to Calgary. For winter 2004, there are four departures: Eastbound, December 19 and 27 and Westbound, December 21 and 29. In addition to the two-day rail trips, there are nine other winter vacation packages ranging from four to 10 days.
There are two classes of service on board: RedLeaf and GoldLeaf. RedLeaf is less expensive, similar to sitting in coach, and meals are taken at your seat. GoldLeaf would be akin to going business or first class, as the seating is in a two-story glass domed car (with a dining room on the lower level).
All passengers enjoy two specialty coaches: one featuring a children�s entertainer who leads the kids in songs, crafts and board games while the adults have their own coach complete with live music, a dance floor and a bar.
As we pulled out of the station into the dark, our attendant hoisted his glass and said, �Let�s have a cheer for the most spectacular train trip in the world.� The first two hours we traveled due east, hugging the 39th parallel. During the course of our daylong journey to Kamloops (276 miles), we pass through the Fraser River Valley, spotting snow-covered blueberry fields under a sky of blue. Washington�s Mount Baker looms large in the distance.
Food is key to the Rocky Mountaineer, and by noon we�ve enjoyed breakfast, a snack and lunch. I dine with Richard Bradhurst of Calgary, who is traveling with his daughter Abbey and sister Elizabeth from Sydney, Australia. There is no assigned seating, and it�s a good opportunity to meet the other passengers on board.
At Mile 40 we�re at Hope, the gateway to the Fraser River Canyon. We�re told that the Sylvester Stallone movie �Rambo, First Blood� was filmed and it�s also the �Chainsaw Carving capitol of the World.� Soon we�re in the heart of winter country, as we pass through Yale (population 300) and head into Hell�s Gate. Passengers are at the ready with their cameras, trying to capture the narrowest point of the Fraser River. The water level is at its highest here, with more water going through Hell�s Gate than over Niagara Falls.
I enjoy lunch with an English woman and her young friend, and we spot osprey nests atop telephone poles. Ashcroft is next, famous for the Great Slide of 1880. On board commentary (and a copy of �The Rocky Mountaineer,� a mock-newspaper complete with route maps and descriptions) makes the trip both entertaining and informative.
Our day�s journey ends at Kamloops, where we transfer to buses and check into the Palace Hotel. Rocky Mountaineer Railtours wisely developed Two Junction Dinner and Musical Review in 1996, giving passengers something to do in the evening. Although I had seen the show before, it was still enjoyable (as was the expansive buffet). Passengers clapped and laughed along as the historical musical tale of American robber Billy Miner and Kamloops newspaper reporter Mary Spencer unfolded on stage.
With such songs as �O, Susanna!� and �This Train,� the talented cast sang and played accordion, banjo, violin, mandolin, harmonica, guitar and penny whistle. The 20-member wait staff, local kids from the community, were part of the production, too. It�s a quick-paced musical with tight harmonies, corny but cute.
As we head back to the buses, an inch of snow has fallen on the ground. The next morning, we�d be Alberta bound.
Leaving Kamloops early the next morning, we journey through Chase, Little Shuswap Lake (someone spots a coyote), Notch Hill, Salmon Arm, Shuswap Lake, Canoe, Sicamous and Mara Lake. We cross the Eagle River 15 times. Craigellachie is where the last spike was driven completing the Canadian pacific Railway in 1885.
No surprise, it�s time to eat again, something I�ve begun to look forward to. The food in GoldLeaf is delicious, served on white tablecloths and with fine dinnerware and cutlery. Menu items included winter squash soup, maple glazed duck breast, oven roasted Fraser Valley turkey and eggnog cheesecake. All accompanied by BC wines or a variety of other beverages.
After a leisurely lunch we return to our perches upstairs, eventually entering Rogers Pass with its tunnels and snow sheds. Between Revelstoke and Golden to the east we�ll pass through the Columbia Mountains, comprised of four ranges: The Monashees, Selkirks, Purcells and Cariboos. We traverse the Stoney Creek Bridge, located on the eastern slop of Mount Tupper, towering 325 feet about the creek bed. On the summer train, I remember the excitement when somebody shouted out �Bear! Bear!� No such luck this time, they were all hibernating.
After the Spiral Tunnels, one of the steepest links on the CP line, we reach the Continental Divide at Stephen. This is the highest point in the trip (5,332 feet above sea level) and the boundary between Yoho National Park In British Columbia and Banff National Park in Alberta.
All of a sudden, somebody shouts out, �Santa Claus!� and there he is�the jolly old man, standing outside waving in the snow. The train slows to a halt and Santa and his reindeer assistant board the train and pass through each car, handing out treats and posing for photos.
Along with enjoying the onboard entertainment, reading and napping are a luxurious treat. After Santa disembarks, I doze off and when I awake, there�s a crescent moon high above the mountains in Field, BC. It�s getting dark and just before reaching Banff we�re served special handcrafted chocolates made by the chef.
Most of the passengers leave the train in Banff, but I�ve opted to continue on to Calgary, and soak up the winter offerings that city has to offer. But I�ll miss the cozy atmosphere of the Rocky Mountaineer, and all the new friends I�ve met on board.
Especially Santa.
Sue Frause is a freelance writer and photographer.
IF YOU GO
Rocky Mountaineer Railtours
www.WinterRailVacations.com
www.rockymountaineer.com
800.665.7245
Prices start at $529 CDN per adult (based on double occupancy) and $249 CDN per child, including two breakfast and two lunch meals, overnight hotel accommodation and dinner in Kamloops, BC.
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