We met the Rocky Mountaineer staff in the hotel lobby at 6:30 AM and got our luggage tags and instructions. We then took a short bus ride to the train station to board the Rocky Mountaineer. The train was waiting when we got there and we were assigned to the J01 car headed for Jasper in seats 29 and 30 which were on the right side of the train.
Our train car
Once on the train we left Vancouver headed through the Rockies towards Kamloops. The train car had a seating area on the top level and a restaurant car on the bottom level. The restaurant could only fit half of the car and we went down to breakfast in the second seating so in the meantime they brought us warm cinnamon scones which were delicious. We then went down to breakfast and then spent the rest of the day viewing amazing scenery either from the car or an outdoor viewing platform on the back of our car. Here were some of the pictures that we got.
The Fraser river outside of Vancouver
Hells Gate one of the landmarks along the way
We also had lunch in the restaurant car. They pretty much fed us all day. After lunch we went outside again to see if we could see Cisco crossing where the 2 Canadian Rail Lines tracks cross.
Cisco Crossing
Eventually we left the Fraser river and rode along the Thompson river which was much more clear and blue. We saw lots of pretty views, rafters, and other trains along the way
A cargo train on the other companies rail line across the river
Rafters on the water
Our train stretched out ahead of us on a corner
Sheep along the train tracks
We eventually also saw a Big horn sheep that we had been looking for all day. He was very far away so it’s not a good picture but it was all. We could get.
Big Horn Sheep
Once the train pulled into Kamloops we headed to the hotel, grabbed a light dinner from a nearby grocery store and settled in for the night. There isn’t much to see in Kamloops and we take the train to Jasper National Park tomorrow