Almost immediately after we set off, the view started getting better. (Late on the day before, it was getting a bit same, same & boring to be honest.) The weather had turned a touch ugly the evening before & the following morning it was clear & crisp. The first hour or so out of Kamloops was through some lush green farm land, with rolling hills & mountains away in the distance. Not long after breakfast, we approached the Salmon Arm Lake (below). The train diverts to the south around the edge of it for about an hour & the scenery is gorgeous! I'll let the picture to the talking.
Toward the end of the diversion around the lake was the little logging town of Canoe. I'm not a big fan of logging natural timber myself, but trees are a bit scarce in Australia. The town wouldn't have rated a mention if I hadn't taken this shot. It is a very pretty part of the world & apparently a popular place for British Colombians to spend their holidays.
Eagle River
Pretty much straight after we had left the lake side, we headed into lush forests following the Eagle River. It was very clean & clear, particularly compared with those on the other side of Kamloops. This shot is pretty typical of the greenery & river system for that part of the trip.
There are countless waterfalls throughout the mountainous areas due to the steep countryside & huge quantities melting snow. This particular one just happened to fall under a bridge making for a nice photo opportunity.
Revelstoke.
The scenery was getting progressively better as the day went on but when we reached Revelstoke the scenery almost suddenly turned spectacular. This is where the Rocky Mountain range actually starts.
The Kicking Horse River
Approaching the Rocky Mountains & the Alberta Border, the train followed the Kicking Horse River. There is a long story behind the name, but the river lived up to the Kicking part the day we traveled through. The river winds through some very rugged & jagged landscape & carries so much water through such a narrow space. It was full of silt & debris as the spring snow melt was happening in earnest & they had a big year for snow this year. It stuck me as a very violent river, but I would love to see it in early autumn when it is a bit less angry. Awesome scenery through this area & the Photos don't do it justice.
This isn't the greatest of shots, but it clearly demonstrates why you pay the extra money for the dome topped cars on this train. It was a true sit back & enjoy the view option. It was a bit like lying back star gazing, but the view of the Rockies rising above you was truly incredible.
Cathedral Mountain
Right near the B.C., Alberta border is the town of Field & rising above it is the Beaverfoot Range on one side, the Van Horne Range on the other & Kicking Horse River Right down the middle. Mount Cathedral (pictured) rises out of the Beaverfoot Range & is the most amazing geological feature in the area. It looks like something off the face of Mars (so to speak). The photo doesn't do it justice, but the steepness of the range is severe to say the least.
Banff National Park
This photo was taken just inside Banff NP & is typical of the beautiful mountain scenery in the area. The water is full of alluvial silt like the others to the east, but the silt is nearly white & it looks almost like icy milk.
This is the real Rockies. They jag up out of the ground and produce some fantastic formations like Mt Rundle (below).
The Bow river flows from the B.C./AB border & runs down through Lake Louise & Banff NP to Calgary (where is goes after that, I haven't worked out yet, but across the prairies somewhere.) The advantage with the river running through the mountains is that it lets you take great photos like this one of Vermillion lakes adjacent to Banff.
Canmore & The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters (below) near Canmore (above) are about the last you see of the mountains before heading out across the prairie toward Calgary & the last photo I took of the trip. The weather & dark closed in then the countryside went flat (in comparison). It's only a 45 minute drive from Calgary so I'm sure we'll get another chance to have a good look at the Banff National Park.
The Rocky Mountaineer is supposedly the best in the world. Whether that means North America around these parts I don't know. The Yanks have their "World series" baseball etc but it is between "All American" teams. Go figure.
Regardless of the hype, it is a brilliant journey. The photos do not show the true nature of the trip, but some go close. (below).
