There's a bear in there - and a deer as well...

  Banff, Alberta, Canada
Friday, April 27, 2007

Another 6am start - yes, startling - and off for blueberry pancakes in the dining car as we pulled out of Kamloops headed for Banff. More rain, more clouds but never-ending scenery with enlightening commentary from our two stewards.

    We travelled along the North Thomson River, crossed the Great Divide as evidenced by the change in direction of the river's flow and travelled through the Spiral Tunnels - an early railway engineering masterpiece whereby two loops of about 270o were tunnelled through the mountains to overcome a treacherous four degree slope. We passed numerous freight trains - the longest I counted was 3 engines and 127 carriages, some loaded with double-storey containers - and also saw the cairn commemmorating the place where the final peg was hammered in to complete the Trans-Canadian Railway.  


      
Did I mention that there was endless food and drinks?


As we climbed higher, passing patchy drifts of snow, and when I was least expecting it (would you anyway?..) I spotted the first black bear of the trip. Sitting beside the line watching us go past! We saw a second one waddling into the bush and a couple of herds of white tailed deer. No chance of a photo, of course.   

To top off a great trip and a seamless transfer to the hotel - a king size two-level suite! On the budget hotel plan!

Bliss! Silky smooth sheets and no early start.