Our Kamloops to Banff Trip Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer via Canada Rail Vacation

After a very good rest at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, we needed to get up early again for our 2nd day on the Rocky Mountaineer organized by Canada Rail Vacations.

This is the longer journey, all the way from Kamloops to Banff!

The journey FIRST PASSAGE TO THE WEST just click link to find the above screenshot at 25 seconds into video from Rocky Mountaineer.
So lets go...

Day 1 was in Vancouver, see links of previous 2 posts below this one.

At 8:40 in the morning, at Salmon Arm in British Columbia, Canada.
Rivers are huge in this Province!

Pieter's yummy breakfast at 8:55 aboard the train in the dining room.

My yummy breakfast and again a Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry) for garnish.

This is the HISTORIC SITE at Sushwap of the LAST SPIKE!
We passed this at 9:52
Craigellachie makes us go back to 1885 to the site of the Last Spike where Canada's East and West were united by 3,200 kilometers (1,988 miles) of railway track.

THE LAST SPIKE IS DRIVEN INTO THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY... On November 7, 1885, completing Canadian Pacific Railway from ocean to ocean!

At 10:24 we passed Three Valley Gap Resort, a 200 room hotel resort (see info above this photo).
This is adjacent to Three Valley Lake and west of the summit of Eagle Pass.
It is an incorporated settlement on the Trans-Canada Highway and is 27 km southwest of Revelstoke.

At 10:48 we are near Revelstoke

Same mountain peak with snow and Revelstoke on the banks of the Columbia River and a bridge.

The Rocky Mountaineer is on the middle bridge!

Almost crossed the Columbia River at 10:49

This is at 12:30 when we are entering Glacier National Park
What a sight!
This photo is taken from the back window in the GoldLeaf car, since there were a lot less cars, we had free view!
At Kamloops the biggest part of our LONG train got hooked off for their ongoing journey to Jasper.

Glacier National Park at 12:39

Different angle at Glacier National Park, also at 12:39

This is where we are at Glacier National Park in the above photos.

At Glacier National Park, still around 12:39 as we pass the tall Stoney Creek Bridge of 90 m or 295 ft height. Click link for view of bridge.

STONEY CREEK BRIDGE

The original wooden structure got replaced by 1893. By 1929, the weight of the locomotives had almost doubled and Canadian Pacific Rail was forced to replace this structure.

Glacier National Park at 12:50 and you can see the bare spots where the frozen ice took rocks and all down!

At 14:09 a freight train on the NR (National Railroad) is passing us along the river.

At 14:58 along the river

Exact spot along the Columbia River where the previous photo got taken

COLUMBIA RIVER
The Columbia River flows 1,250 miles from the Rocky Mountain Trench to the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon.
KICKING HORSE RIVER
For the next 48 km/30 miles, we travel through the Kicking Horse Canyon, crossing the river seven times.

Also taken at 14:58 from the dining room, which is below... We were the 2nd shift from our car to go down for lunch.
The reflection of the lights is visible in the window.

At 15:16 near Kicking Horse River as we travel through Kicking Horse Canyon where British Columbia's dramatic Canadian Rocky Mountains are on full display.

Kicking Horse River where previous photo got taken and we did cross this river seven times!

At 15:28 my special risotto got served...

Pieter's delicious pork tenderloin. It all got very artful garnished and presented.

This is at 15:30 along the Kicking Horse River, where Pieter's pork tenderloin got served.

At 16:04 time for a mousse with lovely garnish. Again my favorite Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry).

Passing through THE SPIRAL TUNNELS was quite something!

Because it was a very dangerous 4.5 persent grade in 1907, construction began on the unique Spiral Tunnels. Modeled after a tunnel system in Switzerland, it took 1,000 men 20 months to complete. It involved the excavation of 557,500 m3 / 750,000 cubic yards of rock and cost over $ 1 million to build. However, it allowed the grade to be reduced to a more manageable 2.2 percent. 

The Upper Spiral travels through Castle Mountain and is 993 m / 3.255 feet long and turns approx. 290 degrees, emerging 15.25 m / 50 feet higher than its entrance.

The Lower Spiral is tunneled through Mount Ogden and is 891 m / 2,923 feet long and turns approx. 230 degrees, emerging 17.1 m / 56 feet higher than its entrance.

WHITE DOTTET LINES in this picture at the top REPRESENT THE ROUTE TAKEN BY TRAIN THROUGH SPIRAL TUNNELS

In the Rocky Mountaineer paper that we received on board, they printed Cathedral Mountain... should read Castle Mountain instead! 

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

We crossed this Continental Divide and the boundary between Banff National Park in Alberta and Yoho National Park in British Columbia. It is the highest point on our journey, at 1,626 m / 5,332 feet above sea level, and separates the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. 

On one side the water flows towards the Pacific Ocean and the other side all the water flows towards the Atlantic Ocean...

At 16:17 we are at Yoho National Park...

LOOK at those snow-capped mountains!

Right here is Yoho National Park where I took the previous photo.

At 16:22 Yoho National Park

At 18:15 still in the vast Yoho National Park

Such an awesome sight through the glass dome!

Today we did section 5, 6 and 7 in the above chart.

SUSHWAP SUBDIVISION from KAMLOOPS → REVELSTOKE

Next we traveled through the MOUNTAIN SUBDIVISION from REVELSTOKE → FIELD

Finally traveling the LAGGAN SUBDIVISION from FIELD  → LAKE LOUISE/BANFF

It was too dark for taking any photos of the final stretch... Just watch the video below blog post.

Enjoy my 2 min. 3 sec. Relive video below, the total Rocky Mountaineer trip, including the very short trip by coach to our Fairmont Banff Springs hotel:

Relive 'ROCKY MOUNTAINEER KAMLOOPS TO BANFF'

       

Again, sometimes the dots got connected in a straight line, where I had no signal at all.

But the sight from above is what counts, for getting a better impression of this day's journey.

According to the information from the Rocky Mountaineer the total trip is 497 KM/309 MILES for the stretch KAMLOOPS & BANFF

As a courtesy, our luggage got sent separately by truck, straight to our Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Which proved to be the very best during this trip!

Thanks for traveling along and see you back when we take you by coach around Banff...

Related links:
Rocky Mountaineer - Best Vacations.mov - GREAT video about our 2-day trip
Our Canada Rail Vacation Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver to Kamloops | previous post
Vancouver British Columbia, Canada in 1996 and back again in 2018 | previous post by me
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER KAMLOOPS TO BANFF with Pieter J.C. Vedder ←click for video

Our Canada Rail Vacation Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver to Kamloops

Finally, our DREAM did become reality!

For years we've been talking about the Rocky Mountaineer and now, with a better economy thanks to President Trump, we got enough dividend for going ahead!

We booked our trip via Canada Rail Vacations.

Photos courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer - wish we could have seen it like this!

We left our luxurious Fairmont Hotel Vancouver by motor coach to be transported to the Rocky Mountaineer Station where we all would board the train.

We, that is 710 passengers for that morning of September 25, 2018.
A life pianist entertained us while we got served some juice or water.
A professional bagpiper did play while boarding began, seen in photo below just to the left, near the train.

Both of us were pleasantly surprised at the speed and efficiency this boarding took place at 7:38 AM.

We were seated in this GoldLeaf bi-level dome coach of CB05, seen above.
The lower part we could reach by stairs for entering our dining room for breakfast and lunch.

Thus, our FIRST PASSAGE TO THE WEST
VANCOUVER-KAMLOOPS-LAKE LOUISE/BANFF started...

A long line of Rocky Mountaineer employees stood lined up along the track and waved us farewell!
Source: at 1:17 min of All Aboard the Train! Rocky Mountaineer is leaving Vancouver

Enjoying this fruity delight at 8:26, with Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry in its husk, before breakfast à la carte got served.

We left via the impressive Fraser River Swing Bridge at 8:42
This is at New Westminster - Columbia and taken from the GoldLeaf Dining Room...

At 8:47 this photo got taken from my Blueberry Pancakes, garnished with strawberry and Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry) and served with Maple Syrup.
Love this special fruit in a husk and for one year we did grow our own!
On my plate you can see it was a sunny breakfast taken in the elegant dining room.
Our Gold-Leaf bi-level domed coach got split up in two groups for going down to the dining room.
For the first day, we were in the 1st group and on the 2nd day this got reversed.
Meanwhile others got served some hot food from the trolley cart, anticipating their breakfast...
EXCELLENT service and our Chef was from the Philippines!

At 10:43 Alongside the Fraser River with the majestic Coast Mountains...

Lanscape is changing now at 12:17 as it looks more rugged as we leave the fertile Rainforest behind.

At 12:22 we reach HELL'S GATE

THE FRASER RIVER and HELL'S GATE at 12:24
Under the red poles of the suspension bridge you see a white spot in the center, where it marks the water surface of the Fraser River of May 28, 1948...
The water can be 27.4 m or 90 ft deep to 64 m or 210 ft deep!
Compared to the Niagara Falls, TWICE as much water flows through Hell's Gate!!!

Hell's Gate, the narrowest part of the Fraser River. As much as 750 million liters/200 million gallons of water pound and surge each minute through a 33.5 m/110 foot wide gorge. The height of the Fraser can vary as much as 24.3 m/80 feet throughout the year at this point.

The Fraser River, the major river in the province of British Columbia, journeys almost 1,369 km/850 miles from its headwaters in the Rockies to its release into the Strait of Georgia, near Vancouver.
In 1808 it was navigated by Simon Fraser.
Fraser River is also home to BC's largest salmon run.

The construction of the Canadian Pacific rail line through Hell's Gate in 1882 became a particularly dangerous challenge for contractor Andrew Onderdonk and his crew of thousands of men.
Andrew Onderdonk also built the San Francisco Seawall. He was born in New York, from a Dutch family.

At 13:32 the scenery is getting more and more ROCKY! Near Boston Bar on the Fraser River

At 13:55 through my window (swapped for a moment with husband Pieter)...
The top of the shatter proof glass dome is tinted, hence this line.
Thompson-Nicola

At 13:56 Rainbow Canyon

The minerals in the rocks reflect a rainbow of colors giving the canyon a painted look. Copper turns green and purple when oxidized, while iron turns orange and red. The yellow is due to sulfur deposits.

Also a short tunnel is visible in this photo, where the other rail road track is running.

VANCOUVER & KAMLOOPS 460 KM / 285 MILES

The different mileposts and names

Now looking more ahead, at 13:56 you see the same mountain peak from two photos previous but with the river down. How incredible the Province of British Columbia is!

At 13:57 these photos I've taken from the dining room as we enjoyed a delicious lunch à la carte!
No food photos...

Enlarged section from photo above, to show you the rail road track on the other side of the river with rock sheds over the track for avalanche protection.
See printed info above about AVALANCHE ALLEY

At 15:05 where the front of our long train is visible along the Thompson River
From the left is a freight train coming on the other track.
Since the Rocky Mountaineer is the ONLY passenger train for having the right to travel through the different Parks, they have to YIELD to freight trains if we have to share a single track!

This is where we were in the above photo, along the river.

At 15:46 Ashcroft, British Columbia

At 15:51 Ashcroft you can see the front of our train following the river bend and also another freight train on the other track, below the bridge.
105 Mile Post 2

At 15:54 only 3 minutes later than the above photo with now another freight train on the other side of the river.
Those freight trains can be as long as 300 cars!
They transport coal, copper, grain, and all sorts of goods.

Funny that the side river we crossed in the above photo is called Bonaparte River... Maybe because of the shape of Bonaparte's hat, where it merges?

At 15:55 here we cross the Thompson-Nicola and you can see our 2 locomotives ahead followed by the SilverLeaf cars...

The head of the train already on this bridge...

At 15:56 Thompson River near Ashcroft, looking back you now can see the tail of our train following us...
It was getting dark slowly.
We were seated on 7 + 8 and there was only one row behind us in our section.
In front of us was the staircase down to the dining room, restrooms and open balcony (in-between two cars).

Our train section is almost across the river where I took the above photo.

This photo I took from our coach, at 17:56 when we disembarked the train at Kamloops Station.
There were coaches lined up, each right in front of a train section to just walk across the red carpet into your coach.
The planning in detail was incredible and before we got off the train we were handed our room key for the hotel at Kamloops. Our luggage got sent by truck and was already inside our room!

This is where the Kamloops Station is.

Yep, we completed our FIRST day on the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER, from Vancouver to Kamloops...

LOTS OF IMPRESSIONS...

We stayed at a rather new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
~
Back in the hotel with WiFi I did upload my capture of the entire day on Relive.
Yes, there were remote areas without ANY signal and I guess Google Earth just did connect the dots so in the remote areas the line is not always the real railroad track. The total length of the journey should have been 460 km so it sure did cut off certain sections where we followed the rivers!
But it gives a very clear idea of the landscape from above, where we traveled through, alongside rivers and through lots of short tunnels.

Enjoy the 1:59 min. video of the  9 h 56m trip over 382.3 km including the final stretch by coach to our hotel. Click below:

Relive 'ROCKY MOUNTAINEER VANCOUVER TO KAMLOOPS'

        

Thanks for your visit and comment and stay tuned for our 2nd day on the Rocky Mountaineer...

Related links:
Vancouver British Columbia, Canada in 1996 and back again in 2018 | previous post by me
Fraser Canyon - Rocky Mountaineer Tourist Train on the Cisco Bridges (June 10, 2016) - short video showing the Rocky Mountaineer passing Cisco Crossing

Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver to Kamloops with Pieter J.C. Vedder ←click for video

Vancouver British Columbia, Canada in 1996 and back again in 2018

A long time dream of us, was to go once back to British Columbia, Canada for sight seeing.

We did work in the Vancouver area, Fraser Valley in 1996.

Driving our rental car from the Vancouver airport to the Sheraton hotel in Surrey we fell in love with the surroundings.

This photo is from June 15, 1996...

The Province of British Columbia, Canada has a very special meaning to both of us.

After all, Pieter's adopted daughter Liz is born there!

Pieter did mail a beautiful card from the snow covered Rockies, to Liz in Horst.

You can read more about her in a previous post, link you find below.

For the 12th North American Mushroom Conference held in Vancouver, husband Pieter got invited as a speaker.

So here we are in July of 1996, back in Vancouver once more!

Staying at the Vancouver Hotel which is now the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Pieter's lecture went very well and it was even called the Highlight of the Conference!

On the final day, I checked as usual the telephone book for any VandenMunckhof or Vedder names.

No VandenMunckhof here but as usual several Vedder names.

Then I checked for the biological father of Pieter's adopted daughter, his name was Jeurissen...

There was but ONE Jeurissen T and we presumed that would be Tony, her Dad...
See name at bottom above.

Pieter made the call around 6:00 PM and was quite surprised to hear a woman's voice: Thelma... Liz's biological Mother.
She was long presumed dead because all searches through Rotary International and the Red Cross, never yielded any result.

She kept her married name, even after the divorce - just in case any of her 3 kids would ever look for her!

She came to the hotel, by Skytrain and we met.

Here she is holding Pieter's arm, in the lobby of Hotel Vancouver.

Mama Thelma is part Scottish and part First Nation (her Mother's side).

These photos are not the best but still they remain very special memories to both of us!

Biological Mom meets Step–Mom who together with Liz's Dad put her through the Royal Academy.
We talked a lot, over a cup of tea in the restaurant, with some dessert.
For a good ten years we stayed in touch, mostly via phone calls and letters.
Mama Thelma passed away in September of 2006...
All the above text, I've written on her Birthday, October 6 - coincidence?!
~
Recently we did go on September 23, to the Atlanta Airport to spend the night at Hyatt Place Airport North as our plane to Vancouver would be departing at 7:25 AM and for driving from home on a Monday morning with heavy traffic was a no-no.
Now we just got up at 4:00 AM, had some home baked waffles with maple syrup that we had with us and we left with the hotel shuttle from 5:00 AM to the airport.
Via Minneapolis/St. Paul on Delta Airlines, we arrived in Vancouver.
We only had carry on, no checked luggage so it was light and easy traveling.
Just as Mama Thelma had done to come to our hotel in 1996, we too took the Skytrain...
Click on it below to see the 43 second video from the Skytrain ride and our 300 m walk from the Downtown station to our Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Click on below image for actually viewing our walk.

↓

Relive 'Walk from Skytrain to Fairmont hotel 900 W Georgia St in Vancouver BC Canada'

  

      Here is Pieter standing with his carry on in front of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, just outside of the Skytrain station downtown.
Crossing this street and walking only a total of 300 m.

Here we are! Back again at the very same hotel after 24 years...

The weather in Vancouver was sunny and rather warm!

16ºC or 60.8ºF on Monday, September 24, 2018
We did enjoy a delicious, romantic dinner at Notch8 Restaurant & Bar...
The down pillows and duvet on the bed in room 357 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver were HEAVEN!

Here I am at 6:30 AM on September 25... in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver where we met with Mama Thelma in July of 1996...
Wearing my Kipling backpack and my hiking boots.

We are checking out - stay tuned for more... to read more about our trip via Canada Rail Vacations.

Related link:

{Our Daughter Liz} | previous post by me