Kamloops to Banff

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Geo: 51.1752, -115.573

This morning we begin our last day on the train. Throughout this region we see unique rock formations called Hoodoos that were formed after the last ice age. We passed the small town of Chase situated on Little Shuswap Lake. It was named after Whitfield Chase who came to the area in 1865. Although lured by gold, he turned to farming. Today Chase has a population of about 2400 and is a popular trout fishing and boating area.

Salmon Arm, situated on the southwest arm of Shuswap Lake got its name from the days when spawning salmon were so abundant that you could pitchfork them out of the water. The Salmon Bay Nature Enhancement Reserve is home to over 150 species of birds and waterfowl.

Sicamous is situated between Shuswap and Mara Lakes. Often called the "Houseboat Capital of Canada," it is home to more than 300 houseboats during the summers. Here we crossed over the Shuswap River on a trestle bridge where we can see the lake to the north and the lush valley leading to Mara Lake in the South.

Our train follows the Eagle River (note all the river pictures) for approximately 30 miles between Sicamous and Three Gap Valley.  We pass by Columbia River Bridge, the fourth largest bridge to cross the Columbia River and on to Revelstoke situated in the Columbia valley near Mt. Revelstoke National Park.

The lllecillewaet River (means running or swift) is crossed ten times during our journey.  This is an area known for its heavy snowfalls and frequent avalanches.  We pass through numerous tunnels and snow sheds built as protection along this 65 mile River route.  We travel through Glacier National Park, North Americas equivalent of the Swiss Alps.  We ride through Connaught Tunnel climbing to 3,794 ft above sea level.  The tunnel was completed in 1916 at a cost of 9.2 million, a fortune at that time.  We passed by Stoney Creek Bridge, Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse River which we follow for 30 miles and on to Field.  We traveled through the Lower Spiral Tunnel/Mount Ogden and Upper Spiral Tunnel/Cathedral Mountain before arriving to Wapta Lake, which is 5,203 ft above sea level (the highest elevation reached on our journey).  Lake Wapta is the source of Kicking Horse River.  We ride by Castle Mountain (looks like a castle) and finally our destination Banff.  This was an extremely long day.  We took so many pictures, as you can see, the scenery was breathtaking.  My pictures don't do the area justice.  Check out Bob's pictures...they are beautiful.

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Photos

View out the back
Some of the cars were removed from our engine because they are going to a different place. Now we are the last car.

Houseboat on Lake Shuswap
Often called The Houseboat Capital of Canada. During the summer months there are over 300 houseboats.