ore that: * e hundred million
Mose ago unimaginable
turbulent activity within the earth's
crust created the Rocky
Mountains. a formidable barrier
separating the west from the rest of
Canada. When Canada became a
country in 1867, its Parliament
dreamed of a transcontinental
railway, which would tink the land
from coast to coast.

The dream became a reality
and a train still travels along the
most thrilling part of that track,
offering travellers the chance to
experience one of the world’s most
spectacular train trips. A trip made
possible by the labors of 12,000
men who, more than a century ago,
fought forest fires, rock slides.
avalanches. and impossibly steep
grades to push a pass through the
Rocky mountains-some of the
most dramatic scenery and the
greatest engineering horrors in the
world,

In June, 1886, the first
transcontinental train, the Pacific
Express, crossed the country in six
days. rolling through the Rockies
in daylight. Now, the Rocky
Mountaineer allows travellers to
delight ia the grandeur of these
magnificent mountains and this
wonderful countryside. The Rocky
Mountaineer Railtous is a two-day
train trip through more ihan 690
miles of matchless scenery that
begins in the shadow of the Coast
Mountains where the Pacific
Ocean laps Vancouver’s beaches
and ends in lively *cowtown’,
Calgary, Alberta, home of the
famous Calgary Stampede.

Travellers can joumey
eastward from Vancouver, leaving
their car at the train station—
parking is available-or westward
from Calgary. The retum trip can
be made by train, as the scenery
looks quite different “going the
other way”, or by plane .

Heading east, the Rocky
Mountaineer departs from the
elegant stone halls of the 72-year-
old Canadian National Railroad
Station and, with cries of “All
Aboard” stili ringing in the air,
passengers relax into wide.
comfortable seats and watch the
countryside unfold. On toard,
friendships are already forming
over breakfast as the train rolls
through the spreading Fraser
Valley, where the multi-green
patchwork of the fields cluster
beside the Fraser River as it
relaxes into a wide delta that flows
into the Pacific. Nearby, the dense
forests and distant peaks
surrounding Harrison Bay are

home to the elusive Sasquatch, an

amiable, furry man-monster. one of
B.C."s favorite legends.

The Fraser loses its placid
benevolence as the train reaches
the Fraser Canyon, running along

_ the edge of this precipitous rocky

gash. Passengers gaze straight
down to where the river thunders
over boulders and froths through
narrow canyons. Described as “40
miles of hell” by trainmen the cliff-
hugging tracks on both sides of the
canyon are punctuated with
tunnels, rocksheds, bridges and
flumes as protection from snow
and rocks.

Above the turbulent waters of
Hell's Gate, an aerial tramway
offers visitors a bird's eye view of
fish ladders which help salmon in
their mortal battle upstream to
spawn, and die. in their birth place
in the Adams River.

Gold was discovered on the
sandbars and shallows of the
Fraser in 1858. Names of
communities here, such as Hope,
reflect that heady gold-rush era.

At Lytton, the Rocky
Mountaineer turns eastward,
leaving the muddy waters of the
Fraser to run beside the clear-
Thompson River. In Summer, this
section of the North Thompson
Canyon, which includes the
formidible Jaws of Death Gorge
and Suicide Rapids, is speckled
with rafts of whitewater
adventurers. Across the river
sunshine highlights the mineral-
stained yeliow. crimson and purple
rocks of Painted Canyon.

By late afternoon, the Rocky
Mountaineer pulls into Kamloops
station for an ovemight stop. New
friends plan dinner together as

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buses take passengers to their
hotels for the evening.

Early the next moming, the
comforting rhythm of the train
resumes, rolling between the
sweeping interior hills of vast
cattle ranches where silvery
sagebrush perfumes the air. Here,
hoodoos-rocks eroded into slender
spires by centuries of weather—line
the wide river valley. Further
along, the tracks curve along the
shores of Shuswap Lake, where
vacationers in houseboats explore
1,000 miles of sheltered shoreline.

Gradually, peaks of the
Monashee Mountains replace the
rolling countryside and the train
slows for a glimpse of the stone
cairn at Craigetlachie. In
November 1885 the fast spike was
driven here to complete the
railroad sea to sea, thereby
effectively uniting Canada.

The Manks of the mountains,
embroidered with lacey waterfalls,
fir and pine, sweep beside the
tracks. Crossing the Columbia
River into Revelstoke, a family of
grizzly bears grace the stone
markers at the town's entrance.
Grizzly and black bears are
occasionally spotted on the
mountain slopes and eagles soar in
the crisp, clean air.

Beyond the siark beauty of
Glacier National Park and the wild
Selkirk mountains the Rocky
Mountaineer sirains up mountain
slopes and slides into dark
canyons, with icy peaks
punctuating the skyline. At Golden
the train plunges almost 1,500 ft.
into the narrow valley of the
foaming Kicking Horse River, so
named in 1858 by geologist, Sir
James Hector, who was kicked by

his horse as he attempted to rescue
it from the river. The canyon wails
are threaded with cascading
waterfails, and the canyon floor
seems to be the only level ground
as the forested mountain slopes
soar upward on every side. Deer,
moose, elk and bear are common
here.

At Big Hill, the steepest
tailway grade in North America,
eastbound and westbound trains
pass through the Spiral Tunnels, a
convoluted, roughly figure-of-
eight series of tunnels through

‘Mount Ogden and Cathedral

Mountain that took 1,000 men
nearly two years to complete.

Highway travellers stop to watch
the trains navigate the hill,
seemingly doubling back on
themselves twice. The views are
superb. This is where the Rockies
begin.

Only as the train begins its 100
mile run through the Rockies and
their matchless grandeur is
gradually revealed, can the full
magnitude of the building of this
railroad be appreciated. Nature has
the upper hand as iayer upon layer
of icy mountain peaks seern to
scrape the sky, glaciers on some
higher slopes spill 50-million-year-
old icy debris and some lower
slopes enfold turquoise glacier
lakes. Steep sided rugged
mountain ranges stretch eastward,
fir and pine trees cling to the
narrow, deep valley.

The train stops briefly in Banff
for eastbound passengers to
disembark, or to pick up
westbound ones. Rabbit-eared
mute deer and elk browse beside
the track. This is Canada’s oldest
and most famous national park, a
mecca for outdoor enthusiasts
since 1885. The green-turreted
Banff Springs Hotel supplies every

civilized pleasure.

Heading for Calgary, the tracks
border the Bow River, where

™ Ospreys nest atop specially built

poles; the valley flodr gradually
widens, pushing the mountains
towards the horizon. In the
meadows of these rolling foothills
elk, deer and bighorn sheep feed.
From here, the Rockies seem more
manageable.

In early evening, as the Rocky
Mountaineer pulis slowly into
Calgary, passengers fall silent over
a final glass of wine or coffee as
they reflect on a joumey through
some of the world’s most
remarkable scenery—part of a
Canadian dream.

Anne Tempelman-Kluit

——~+SCHEDUL E.—_——

EASTBOUND DEPARTURES:

Vatue Season: From Vancouver to Bantt & Calgary only:
May 24, 28 June 2, September 27, October 1,6

Regular Season: From Vancouver to Banff & Calgary and From

e@ Vancouver to Jasper:

June 7, 11, 16, 21, 25, 30, July 5, 9, 14, 19, 23, 28, August 2, 6, 11, 16,

20, 25, 30, September 3, 8, 13, 17, 22

WESTBOUND DEPARTURES:

Value Season: From Calgary & Banif to Vancouver only:
May 26, 31, June 4, September 29, October 4, 8 .
Regular Season: From Calgary & Bantf to Vancouver and From Jasper ¢

Vancouver:

dune 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, July 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 30, August 4, 9, 13, 18,

23, 27, September 1, 6, 10, 15, 20, 24

e Railtour Package Fares «
(Per Person)

DOUBLE/TWIN TRIPLE
$370/$425
$665/$765

One Way $390/$450
Round-Trip: $695/$795
Prices are quoted in Canadian Funds.

SINGLE
$435/$495
$795/$895

CHILD (2-11)
$265/$295
$475/$545

All Fares are based on the Vancouver/Banft or Vancouver/Jasper route. There is an
additional charge of $35.00 per person for one way travel in either direction

between Banff and Calgary.

There are no raiitours to and from Jasper during the Value Season.
» Package Includes e —

¢ ‘Two day scenic raileour

¢ One nights hotel accomodation (including taxes) in Kamloops, B.C.
« Bus transfers between the train and your Kamloops hotel
¢ ‘Two breakfasts, two lunches, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages
(One tight dinner is also served cto eastbound Calgary passengers.)
e Information package
«¢ Commentary and excellent service provided by our onboard staff
FOR RESERVATIONS AND
INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR
TRAVEL AGENT OR:
1-800-665-7245 Canadw/U.S.
604-984-3315 Vancouver
604-984-2883 Fax

ADIAN RAILTOUR COMPANY LTD.

Owner and Operator of “Rocky Mountaineer Railtours”

TRAVELLERS NOTE:

Passengers have the option of travelling on two routes aboard Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.
The Vancouver to Calgary route is the first option as outlined in this

article, and the second is a Vancouver to Jasper route. Both routes can

be taken in an eastbound or westbound direction, and can be combined

to create a six or eleven day round-trip railtour through western

Canada. Rocky Mountaineer Railtours operates from May 24 to

October 8, with one-way railtour packages starting at $390.00

Canadian (based on double-occupancy). Special prices are available

for the round-trip packages, fly & rail packages, and value departure dates.

For further information and to book with Rocky Mountaineer Railtours, call (604) 984-3315