Trip Report: December 20 & 21, 2001
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILTOURS'
WHITE CHRISTMAS IN WESTERN CANADA
DAY TWO: KAMLOOPS TO BANFF ON THE SCENIC CANADIAN PACIFIC by Sylvia Ann Blishak
December 21, 2001: Kamloops, British Columbia
The sun rises late and sets early in this northern land, so we are once again boarding the train in the dark. The tracks begin to rise as we head east out of Kamloops. Cattle-ranches and farms become dimly visible under a high overcast, and soon the train reaches the shores of Shuswap Lake. The scene has changed again to a green, forested mountainous terrain with snow on the ground outside. The gray clouds begin to develop a distinctive blue edge near the mountaintops, and suddenly the skies are clear. We slow for the monument dedicated to the driving of the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Cragellachie.
As we begin to enter the steeper mountains a Christmas-card scene unfolds outside with trees gilded in snow and ice. At Revelstoke, we bridge the mighty Columbia River, and skirt the edge of Mt. Revelstoke National Park.
Lunch is a gourmet treat complete with complimentary choices of British Columbia wine and with white linen, flowers, and china. I enjoy a salad with a savory mustard dressing drizzled around the edge of the plate. For a main course, the poached salmon served on a bed of Yukon Gold potatoes is almost too pretty to eat, with herbs dusting the plate. For dessert, warm, traditional plum pudding with sweet sauce is irresistible.
Our train follows the original CP route via the old McDonald Tunnel, and slows down for the steel arch bridge crossing of Stoney Creek. Below us we can see the newer route which had gone through Mt. McDonald through the newer Connaught Tunnel, and is the preferred route for freight traffic.
After crossing Rogers Pass, we descend again into the Columbia River Valley and make the second crossing of the river at Donald Station, where we turn south up the Columbia Valley to Golden, which is where a branch of the Canadian Pacific leads south for Cranbrook and the US border, and to Crowsnest Pass, which we crossed on the Royal Canadian Pacific last year. Our car attendant announces that the train is slowing down because, "There seems to be someone near the tracks waving us down."
And soon, standing in the snow and ringing his sleighbells, with two huge packs of presents at his side, is Santa Claus! While one would think this had been arranged for the benefit of the children on board, we adults are excited, too -- it is an idealized childhood dream come true. Two Brits in their eighties across the aisle from us, unlike the rest of the passengers, hadn't really been enjoying themselves until now. I turn to one of them as we stand up with our cameras. "We're never really too old for this, are we?" I say.
He reaches over and squeezes my arm. "Never!" he says with a smile.
Santa comes aboard and the Brits shake hands and have their photos taken with him. A dark-haired boy of about three has been conscripted as Santa's helper. Knitted scarves with the Canadian maple leaf are presented to every passenger. The tot is in a state of awe, and this is a moment he surely will never forget.
At a pause at Field, BC, for a crew change, the unbelievable slopes and angles of the Rockies loom above us. Our train is working hard up the grade and before long we've reach the incredible engineering feat of the Spiral Tunnels. Imagine a cursive letter "L". Each of the loops is a tunnel inside a mountain which makes a complete circle, gaining altitude. This reduces the original 4.5% grade down to a more manageable 2.5%. Mt. Stephens towers over us as we slowly climb up Kicking Horse Pass.
The red, white and black scarves are donned around everyone's neck and brighten up the dome as dusk descends. We whisk past the Post Hotel at Lake Louise, with buildings and trees decorated in Christmas lights, and Janice passes out some homemade fruit tarts. Sweeping past Castle Mountain, we are getting very close to Banff.
All too soon, we pull into the station at Banff where busses are waiting for detraining passengers. The train will continue to Calgary, where it will be serviced and turned, and will pick us up tomorrow for the return journey. We say goodbye to Peter L., who is now a friend in addition to being a loyal client. He is continuing on to Calgary.
For us, it's down the steps and onto the traditional red carpet on the platform, into the frosty evening and onto a motorcoach that delivers us to the Banff Springs Hotel.
This famous hotel, which is beginning to span its third century, is a medieval castle. In the last stages of a three-year renovation, it is more elegant than ever and, if there were such a thing as a six-star rating, it would qualify. A wedding party is being photographed beside a giant Christmas tree in the great hall. Later, a pillow and pajama party for youngsters is organized as Santa Claus and the Sugarplum Fairy read bedtime stories.
Although there are, at last count, 17 places to eat at the hotel, including the 5 star Banffshire Club, our friends in Alberta had placed a magnificent gift basket in our room. This was all we needed after the wonderful dining that we had experienced all day on the Rocky Mountaineer.
We go to sleep secure in the knowledge that tomorrow, before dawn, our train will come back to take us on the return journey to Vancouver. And since light conditions will be different, and we'll be traveling eastbound on a different side of the river on our return, the trip will offer an entirely new viewpoint.
Our service crew in the Gold Leaf dome car.
This was our sixth journey on the Rocky Mountaineer, and it gets better as time goes on. If this sounds like your kind of trip, please see our Rocky Mountaineer Railtours page!
