Soon we pulled into Kamloops,
our overnight stop. Kamloops’ name
is derived from a first nations word
meaning “meeting of the waters,” as
this is the location where the North
and South Thompson Rivers meet.
Soon we were at our host hotel
enjoying a delicious dinner.
While we travelled the next
morning, we learned how the
Canadian Pacific and Canadian
National Railways share their tracks
in this region. Known as a directional
running agreement, the two railways
agreed to allow directional running
through the Fraser Canyon. All east-
bound trains run on the CP line, and
westbound trains on CN tracks.
We mostly travelled on CP tracks,
averaging 48 kilometers per hour, with
the top speed being 89 kilometers
per hour on flat terrain.
Along the way, an osprey nest
was pointed out to us. Osprey nests
are protected. If an osprey nest must
be moved from an old decaying
telephone pole, the new pole must
be located right beside the old one
and the nest is then repositioned to
the new pole. Now that’s service!
Before leaving the Thompson
River, we viewed the Jaws of Death
Gorge where the river banks become
steep and narrow, creating raging
waters that beckon adventurous
whitewater rafters. At the town of
Lytton, our train met up with the
Fraser River, which flows down to the
city of Vancouver and is the longest
river in B.C. One of the most famous
mileposts along the Fraser is Hell’s
Gate. The canyon walls narrow forcing
the entire volume of the river to pass
through a gap only 115 feet wide.
As we meandered down the
Fraser, we passed sites of original
gold rush settlements from the
1850s. The many sandbars of the
Fraser were a hub of activity for ad-
venturous miners. Upon reaching
the town of Hope, our vista opened
up to the Fraser Valley, where much
of the local farming occurs.
Soon we neared the terminus
for the Rocky Mountaineer, near
downtown Vancouver. I leaned over
and commented to Joan that I
wanted to stay on the train as it
turned around and headed back to
Ban. Would anyone notice? For
now, it was time to return to the 21st
century and rejoin the hustle bustle
of city tra¬c.
BEFORE LEAVING THE THOMPSON RIVER, WE VIEWED THE JAWS OF DEATH GORGE
WHERE THE RIVER BANKS BECOME STEEP AND NARROW, CREATING RAGING WATERS...
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