The Great Canadian Epic Part 5: Vancouver to Jasper

If you're thinking by now that there isn't much more I could say about train travel, you're right -- almost.

The return trip from Vancouver began with the overnight leg from Vancouver to Jasper.  This 19-hour leg is by far the most popular part of The Canadian's itinerary, and no wonder.  Three whole sleepers were taken up by people getting out at Jasper, and there were only a handful of bags loaded on in Jasper to replace the very large cartful that came off!

The whole feel of the trip was much the same as before, with one exception.  I'm now using a roomette or "bedroom for one" as VIA prefers to call it.  The bed lies lengthwise along the axis of the car, alongside the window, where the bed in a bedroom for two (such as I used going west) lies crosswise, stretching from window to corridor wall.  I found the motion of the train was affecting me very differently and I had trouble sleeping.  After three nights from Jasper to Toronto, I'll have a better idea of which one overall is more comfortable.

The only other major difference is the chance to see the whole route from Kamloops northwards by daylight, so here are a few more pictures of the parts of the Thompson River valley which we passed through in darkness before.  This stretch included a sizable area which had obviously suffered a fire some years back, as we could see the regeneration of the forest already under way.

First, though, a look at the night before the morning after, taken by a fellow passenger at the welcome aboard reception:

Crossing the Thompson River pre-sunrise sky just before our stop at Kamloops:

Travelling north along the Thompson River valley, with the signs of forest fires past all around us and the smoke of forest fires present (much farther to the south) creating a haze in the air:

The smooth waters of the Thompson River showed early reflections at many points along the line:

For the crossing of the Yellowhead Pass, the eastbound trains use the old Canadian Northern Railway track, which takes a longer distance to climb to the same height and thus has a less steep grade.  This track gets high up on the mountain wall even before turning east into the valley which brings the Fraser River down from the Pass.  What should have been spectacular views across the Rocky Mountain Trench from this high-level line were largely veiled, and even Mount Robson -- gloriously in the clear for once -- took on an almost sickly complexion from the smoke in the air: