Golden Ears Provincial Park is an extremely popular park near Vancouver. Consistently ranking in every top hikes to do near Vancouver lists it is crowded to the limit in the summer season. And so it was when we decided to do a day hike in the park last month. It was a miracle that we managed to find a parking spot right away so packed was the lot. There were cars parked in the shoulders of the road. Our group consisted of our MEL(Masters) friends. Suyog, Kimi, Elio, Namendra, Andres, Derek and myself made up the group.
Since Derek and Kimi had been to this park before they knew short cuts which deviated from the marked trails. This made our hike much more adventurous. We hiked to the both of the falls, upper and lower. And later just chilled on a clearing near the stream. Overall it was fun and exciting hike.
Buntzen Lake Hike in Belcara Provincial Hike is a pretty average hike. Its more of a walk around a lake with some minor ups and downs. Some weeks back some of my Master's classmates got together and we went on this hike. Theres not much to write about it. It was a quick and refreshing walk for us after the isolation imposed by the Covid19 pandemic. The best part was that it was drizzling on that day and it made the hike so much better. A group pic and a video of the hike is below to wrap up the post.
On one bright sunny day in February this year, before the onset of the Covid19, some of us friends got together and headed over to the Cypress Provincial Park for a walk in the snow. There was still plenty of snow on the slopes. We saw people zipping by on their skis as we slowly trudged away to a nearby view point. The park is hugely popular among the people of Vancouver for its easy access to ski slopes. Relatively the number of hikers were very less. Our visit was short and quite enjoyable. Nothing out of the ordinary though which requires any lengthy description. I'll complete the post with some pics and a Video of the hike.
Today was the main day of the whole journey. The world famous crossing across the Rockies mountain range. The crossing itself is an engineering marvel. Add to that the spectacular views and I was super excited for the day to unfold. By 6 30 am I was snugly ensconced in one of the seats of the Dome car. Today was the most important day of the journey and I was not taking any chances. I had plans to sit here for the duration of the day so I bought all my accessories with me.
Around 7 am the train halted at Jasper, Alberta. It had a stop of 3 hrs here. I was not going to get down here because I visited on two occasions before and also I did not want to lose a seat in the dome car. Jasper, at 1060 MSL is located in the Athabasca valley and forms the one of two main towns in the Rockies. The other being Banff. The nearby located Jasper National Park is a World Heritage Site. It was still as dark as the train pulled into the town of Jasper but the faint beginnings of sunrise slowly started and by 9 am the day was bright. As the light grew better I could make better sense of my surrounding. There were multiple parallel tracks covered in the white snow. Just two lines of rail peeking out above the surface. There were other trains parked on these tracks. These were all CN(Canadian National) trains. A fun fact here. The tracks are owned by Canadian National and VIA Rail only runs their trains on these and they do not own them.
With the background of snow clad mountains and the trains nearby the scene was stunning. At some sections clouds obscured the views giving the whole landscape a surreal look. Meanwhile a trickle of passengers started streaming in the dome car among which I could spot a lot of new faces. This was no doubt due to the fact that the Jasper-Kamloops is the most famous stretch of the Toronto-Vancouver run.
At around 10 am it was time to leave. A ripple of excitement passed through the crowd in the dome car as the train jolted to a start. Already DSLRs and video cameras were out. A train coming from the opposite direction blocked our views for a while immediately after we left the station but for me even the train was part of the landscape. After some time our train was alone and the spectacular scenery presented itself. The train snaked through small hills immediately surrounding the rails. Far away mountains loomed all covered in snow, a silent spectator to this train of metallic containers rolling away. The passengers soon fell into a sense of awe at this enthralling display of the wonders of nature.
The seat next to me which had largely been empty was soon by a guy. We soon jumped into a conversation and I found out that he was originally from Brazil and was now studying in the University of Alberta. Our conversation drifted from Brazil to India to travel in general all the while making sure we did not miss any of the beautiful scenery drifting by. At some points vast expanses of snow covered flats could be seen. There was no way to determine if these were plain grounds or lakes except by looking at gmaps. The trees surrounding were all covered in snow. Everything was covered in snow and as I looked outside the windows the world looked black and white to me so stark were the surroundings.
At some sections some portions of the water in a river were visible. They were like sheets of glass laid out on the frozen ground. These stunning views continued till Kamloops. We all watched this enchanting work of nature in awe. I only left the dome for lunch for which my friend from Brazil was good enough to join in. After lunch I went back to my regular place in settled down there.
Around 6 pm we reached Kamloops. This was going to be the last stop before we reached Vancouver the next day. A lot of passengers left here. I strolled around the station, again taking a quick look at the locomotive which has been pulling us from Toronto since the last three days.
After darkness descended there was nothing much to do. The breathtaking scenery had lived upto the hype and I was feeling overwhelmed by it all. So after a quick dinner I just drifted off to sleep with the reel of the days scenery playing in my mind.
Day 5
The next day I woke up leisurely and by 7 am we reached Vancouver. This was incredible. We were an hour earlier than our scheduled time. 'The Canadian' is famous for its delays and I was mentally prepared for such an eventuality but now thankfully we were on time. While taking a stroll towards the dome car for one final look around I saw a man reading a book on Mughals. Intrigued I struck up a conversation with him. I found he was very much interested in History and asked me about Kashmir and about a few recent controversial recent bills passed in India. I suggested a few books about the Mughals to him and also noted down his suggestions. We promised to stay in touch before we departed.
The train ends its epic 4 day 4500 kms journey at the Pacific Station in Vancouver. Built in 1919 the station is a heritage building. As I got down from the train the past 4 days swirled in my mind. It was truly an epic journey.
4500 km.
Across 5 provinces each roughly the size of France.
Crossing 4 time zones.
One of the most ambitious railway engineering feats ever.
And I completed it.
I went home and dropped down on my comforting bed. Finally it was time to stretch my legs on the sweet flat bed.
Learning from last day's experience I woke up relatively late today. It was around 6 am that my alarm woke me. This was the second night I had slept on the sitting seats and surprisingly I had slept well on both nights. After a good nights sleep I was feeling all excited for the day ahead. I quickly made my way over to the Dome car. Like the day before I found it totally empty. I grabbed a seat and waited for the sunrise. Slowly some other passengers trickled in no doubt waiting for the sunrise vistas to reveal. Having crossed the boundary of Manitoba during the night we were in Saskatchewan now. Around 7 30 am I could sense a change in the sky. Slowly, the black of the sky began to change into a shade of blue. At first it was dark blue but slowly morphed into a lighter shade. All around me the advancing light dimly illuminated the landscape which showed me nothing but endless barren lands on both sides. At the horizon where the sky met the land there was a strip of orange which shone brightly even as the rest of the sky had turned blue. The ground itself was still dark. These different colours presented a surreal picture. 90's kids will remember there used to be a powerpoint background called sunrise which had different shades of colours transforming form blue to orange. This reminded me of that. I watched this spectacle totally spellbound. For miles and miles the view did not change. Gradually though the sun was up in the sky and it was full daylight.
By 10 am it was bright sunshine now. The landscape had changed completely compared to yesterday. All around me land stretched as far away as the sky can see. Totally unbroken expanse of land. No trees anywhere. Just some buildings here and there breaking the monotony of the land. Theres a joke about the American midwest which could be applied here. They say when a dog escapes from home in these lands you can see it go for 2 weeks.
At around 11 am the train rolled into the city of Saskatoon. As I watched eagerly outside I could see smoke rising from the city. Smoke or steam it was hard to judge yet it covered a good majority of the sky. We had a 30 min stop at the railway station of Saskatoon. It looked sunny outside but when I checked the temperature on my phone it showed it as -28 Deg. The view outside my widows showed no sign of it being so cold. What I saw was a warm sunny day. I had to check it out. This was the lowest temp I ever had the chance to experience in my life so quickly donning my gear I went out as soon as the train came to a halt. The cold did not hit me suddenly but as I walked around the station it crept inside slowly. The Saskatoon station is nothing much to write about. A small building with a fenced compound like an industrial facility. I took a stroll here, took a few photos and then went back to my seat.
The journey resumed and again the train snaked its way on the flat lands. Barns, Grain elevators and bundles of hay made up the regular feature of the land now. Soon we crossed into Alberta and by 2100 Hrs were near Edmonton. The city lights glittered in the night and the smoke filled sky glistened. The train pulled up in the city and again we had the option of going out. This I promptly did. Careful not to slip on the snow covered platform I took a quick stroll along the length of the train. Edmonton station was also not much to write about and I did not take the trouble to look around much and quickly made my way back into the station. Part of my disinterest in Edmonton was because I was here before last summer during our Road trip in BC and Alberta. Our journey resumed at around 11pm and the only thing left to do was sleep. This was going to be my third night sleeping in a sitting position and by now I was beginning to grow a bit tired of it. Nevertheless tomorrow was going to be the most important day of the trip. The section which is one of the most world famous train routes in the World was coming up. A feat of Engineering and true grit. I was all hyped about it and willed myself to sleep.
This is part of my 4 day train journey from Toronto to Vancouver. You can find Day 1 here.
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The gentle vibration of my phone woke me up quite early in the morning. It was quite dim in the carriage and I could hear a few snores from somewhere down the aisle. I looked at my watch it was 4 am. I had woken up early to get myself a good seat in the dome car. I wanted to catch the sunrise with the best possible view possible. Another advantage of waking up early is the unencumbered use of the washrooms.
As it was winter sunrise was around 8 am. At 4 in the morning it was still night. I knew it was too early but my excitement made any more sleep impossible. As I walked to the rear of my carriage into the next one I could see people trying out various ways to make their sleep on the seats as comfortable as possible. Some were using bags as props, some curled up on base of the seats, some just slept as rigid as a statue. I entered the deserted dome car and grabbed a seat. The night views from the dome cars were surreal. Everything was pitch black which was only broken whenever we passed by some town. The lights of far away sparkled in the black of the night. On places where lights were shining they illuminated the surfaces covered with snow. Of all the things I loved looking at solitary streetlamps. They were like a beacon in the night. A small space of light around darkness.
Somewhere around 5 am the train came to a halt at a small station called Nakina. It was the most surreal railway stop in my life. As I looked from my window all I could make out of the station was a small building displaying the name Nakina. I could only see the walls of the structure and not the roof as the lights were only beneath the roof. The whole ground around was covered in snow shining under the illumination. I snapped a few pics. The train soon resumed its journey leaving the quaint station behind.
Soon it was sunrise but nothing changed in the way of landscape views. Everything in sight was covered in snow. At around 1130 am we stopped at Sioux Lookout. Again the smokers heaved a sigh of relief when the conductor mentioned about the stop. It was around minus 15 degrees outside (in Celsius).I wandered around a bit here. The day was dark and cold. Many passengers got down and strolled around the station. The smokers had by now formed a group and were smoking together. The locomotive staff got busy in refueling. As for me I just wandered around aimlessly looking at the locomotives for some time and then walking along the length of the train in the snow. All around me was white snow. Everywhere! Soon it was time to go.
Afternoon passed without any event. Had another veg burger in the pantry and just spent my time reading a book or tracing our journey on a map that I had bought with me. The next major stop was to be in Winnipeg and till then I had of plenty of time to just while away.
It was around 1930 Hrs when the train slowly pulled inside the Winnipeg Station. We were ahead of schedule and the conductor made a quick announcement that the Train will depart at the scheduled departure time which was at 2200 Hrs and we are free to roam around the station. I gathered my jacket, gloves and beanie and was ready for a quick and short venture into the city.
Having gotten down from the train I quickly made my way inside the station. Winnipeg was an important point in the transcontinental railway. This city was used as a base for westward advancement. Its central hall was a huge, cathedral like in its size and feel. I looked around here a bit taking in the size and when satisfied made my way towards the exit. As I approached the glass doors I readied myself for the minus 18 degrees Celsius temperature outside. I gingerly stepped outside and looked around. There were only 3 people at the front. All of them from our train. Two guys just joking around and one lady intently looking at her phone. All around everything else was still. Directly in front of the station runs a road parallel to the length of the building. There was light traffic now. Mounds of snow still clogged the edges of the roads and the side walks. Surprisingly the cold did not bother me much. Must be because of the proper gear I thought to myself as I started walking along the road. My plan was to reach an Indian restaurant nearby. Google maps showed it to be within walking distance. I walked along the snow covered sidewalks now and then glancing behind by back as I was a bit spooked by the empty streets and general feeling of desolation. I felt like I was in one of those video games where there is everything; tall buildings, cars parked, shops and bright street lamps but you know none of those things has life behind them. Most of all this reminded me of the video game Max Payne. The night, the snow and white street lamps. All of it.
With these thoughts swirling in my mind I followed the Gmaps directions and finally reached the restaurant. It looked decent. There were a couple of families inside but apart from them it was relatively empty. I spotted an empty corner side table and made my way over to it. Here followed one of my most hilarious restaurant experiences ever. I ordered Kabuli pulao and it arrived a good 20 mins later. It looked good so I hurriedly took my fork and picked up a piece. Or at least tried to. The lamb piece was rock solid. No amount of pressure could pierce it. After failing multiple times, I looked around, made sure no one was watching, picked up a knife and with all my force pressed into the piece. To my horror the piece of lamb jumped high into the air taking along a fistful of rice with it and fell on the adjacent empty table. I was mortified. I hate attracting attention to myself. And most certainly not in this way. I again looked around and to my immense relief found out that no one was watching. I sneakily got up, picked up the runaway piece with a tissue, wrapped it in the same tissue paper and put it on my table away from my plate. For a third time I looked around to make sure no one was witness to this rescue mission. Thankfully nobody was. The families were busy among themselves. I then signaled the waiter and told her I mistakenly dropped some food. And also how the lamb was not fit for human consumption. She offered compensation. I politely declined telling her I had a train to catch and just be careful for the next customer. She however offered me a 20% discount which I took. With this out of the ordinary exchange I hurried away from the restaurant as fast as I can. With nothing else to do I made my way back to the Railway Station. This time I took a different route for a bit more exploration. I met the two guys I mentioned before and we got back together. On reaching the station I looked around a few infographics on display in the waiting hall. Also I met another passenger called Paul. We chatted for while about the journey so far and the journey ahead. Paul was a regular partner during the rest of the journey.
The train departed from Winnipeg at 2200 Hrs sharp. I had nothing much to do now. Dinner was done. Next day morning was an important as we would be entering the Canadian prairies section. I wanted to see the flatlands of the Canadian prairies as the sun rose from its slumber. So making myself comfortable with adjustments on those two seats I drifted off to sleep as the train rattled away into the night.
For those of you who don't like to read heres a video of the whole trip.
Across 5 provinces each roughly the size of France.
Crossing 4 time zones.
One of the most ambitious railway engineering feats ever.
That is the journey of 'The Canadian'. A train journey from Toronto on the east to Vancouver on the west. Traversing across the breadth of Canada it is truly a journey of epic proportions. In January of this year I decided to do it. Fresh off the completion of my Masters I was looking for an adventure. Since I was going to Montreal to visit my brother I was looking at something that could connect the two. And then I read about this train journey somewhere. So the options I had to come back from Montreal were these.
Take a 5 hour flight journey that would cost me around 400 CAD or Take a 4 day train journey that too with no sleeping berths that would cost me around 600 CAD. For me it did not take much time to decide. The train it was! My love of trains sealed the deal.
Another important point which helped me with the decision was the fact that the original plan to connect the west with the east through railways was one of the most ambitious railway and engineering visions. The story of the entire line is inspiring and worth a read. The Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway both played important roles in shaping the Canada of today. I was not going to do this journey with knowing the history of it so I borrowed a famous book called 'The Last Spike: The Great Railway 1881-1885'. An excellent read, it details how the railway line was built. It only increased my respect for the planners, managers and engineers of the past. Not to mention the thousands of nameless workers who worked and lost their lives on this line.
Here is an account of the journey.
Day 1
I woke up early in the morning before any of the other occupants of my cramped 6 person room had woken up. I was staying at the Hosteling International hostel in Toronto. I am a lifetime member of the Youth Hostel Association of India, which is a part of a network of Hostels around the world. I got a handy discount at this hostel thanks to my membership. Out of the other 4 people in my room I had met 3 of them the night before and as luck would have it they were also taking the same train as I was taking. They were from Germany and were spending their holidays just backpacking across countries. Their destination was the famed Jasper. I kept meeting them now and then during the whole trip.
Within an hour I was out on the streets in the morning cold dragging my trolley bag behind me. Here and there, there were patches of snow still sticking to the ground. People rushed past me hurriedly presumably going to work. I attracted a few casual looks as I dragged by trolley bag with me. I had three bags: the big trolley bag and two backpacks. It did take some effort to drag those around but since the Union station was within walking distance I was reluctant to take a taxi.
I reached the Toronto Union Station at around 7 45 am. I was 2 hours early. The Toronto Union Station is the largest railway station in Canada. Built in the Beaux-Arts style it was a joint venture between the Grand Trunk Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Inside, the Great Hall is a thing of beauty. It is without any doubt the most beautiful big city Railway station I have ever seen. The current structure was built around 1920 but the previous structures date back to 1850s.
I wandered around for a while gazing at the beautiful walls before I decided to head to the gate for my train. Since I was early I sat in the waiting room near the Gate from where the passengers of 'The Canadian' were to depart. After some time spent in just casually gazing around at other passengers it was time to go. I could see a line forming near the gate. I gathered my luggage and made my way over to the queue. After my ticket got checked I followed the crowd ahead of me and we were led to the side of the train. It was a shiny coach with outward lines of metal running along it to give it a streamlined look. This was the only glimpse I had of the coach as I was quickly guided by a conductor to my coach. Even though I wanted to roam around a bit to look around I did not want to obstruct other passengers so I made my way inside to my seat. It was dark inside as the trains are parked in covered sheds. With a few nods of acknowledgement to the passengers around my seat I settled down. The coach was not packed with only a few passengers scattered around. I was happy to note that the conductor assigned one person per two seats. This is very convenient as spending 4 days on a sitting seat is difficult. With 2 side by side seats one can at least sometimes stretch diagonally and sleep.
Soon it was time to leave. Right on the dot, at 0945 Hrs the train started to move. As I settled down comfortably in my seat outside my window the city passed by. Soon the cityscape gave way to the suburbs and finally to the countryside. We were away from the city and all the while I kept staring outside the window. I had first heard of this journey long back in India in a travel magazine. It was like a dream back then. To be actually sitting in that very train embarking on that very journey was exciting. My intention to this journey was more than just interest in the scenery. I was more interested in the history behind this railway line.
The Canadian Pacific Railway was the company which built this line. Started in 1881 their target was to finish it in 10 years but they managed to do it in 5 years. A hugely impressive feat. There were a number of hurdles to it but the work never stopped. A person of significance to note here is a man called William Cornelius Van Horne, the legendary Manager of the CPR. He is largely said to be the man who made the entire venture possible. Presently, it is operated by Via Rail. To be on this legendary line albeit with a few deviations was a different thrill altogether. I love doing stuff related to trivia and did quite a few trips back in India too. Like my trip to the stations with the shortest railway station name in India and the also the station with the longest railway station name.
Coming back to the present journey, most of the scenery passing by was covered in snow. Nothing was distinguishable. It was all snow. Trees, houses, streets everything was covered by a white layer. Sometimes it was not even possible to make out if the clear even snow covered area was a lake or a ground. This was largely the trend for the next 4 days of the journey. But it was beautiful. There is something magical about the snow covered landscape. As I was about to find out later there are variations too in this snowy wonderland.
One of the earliest towns of note to pass is Parry Sound. As the train pulls into Parry Sound it makes for a very beautiful vista. Its a town surrounded by lakes, big and small. The train crosses a tiny part of the huge Lake Huron as it enters. On my left, far away I could see pretty little houses perched at the edge of the lake. They made for a enchanting scene.
At around 1400 Hrs I got up for lunch. I made my way towards the adjacent coach which houses the dining section. Here I saw a small pantry manned by a friendly lady. Since I don't eat Non veg if its not halal I settled down for a veg Burger. As she prepared my meal I chatted with her for a while. Found out she was a book reader as well but she was a big fan of Fantasy novels which I hated so that put an end to our awkward conversation. After I got my order I made my way to the seating area. It was a lovely little section with around 6 tables spread around. The aesthetics looked like they were frozen in time since the 60s. But one bite of the burger and I was bought back to the present. It was delicious. In fact it was the best Veg Burger I ever had. Now and then the train conductor would pass by and we had bits of conversation in between his talking into his walkie talkie. He made the same point too about the look of the coach. He told me that coach was indeed made in the 70s and had not been upgraded since. I had no complains. I loved the look.
After the meal I made my way to the dome section which was just above the pantry. Here I spotted a couple of other passengers. I went to the last seat and settled down to enjoy the scenes. The best part of sitting in the dome section is seeing the front of the train making its way through the land. Especially now as the locomotive hit the snow on the tracks they were making this streak effect all around the locomotives which made it look like it was going more fast that it actually did. On the rear side it was like watching a snake as it twisted and turned and followed the locomotives. It was fun watching it and I never got tired of it for the next 4 days. Also I met a fellow traveler here who was from Montreal. We spent some time chatting. Coincidentally he was going to University of British Columbia(UBC) for a Project for his studies. I had just completed my Masters from UBC. We talked for a while about this common point and exchanged info. As evening approached I returned back to my seat.
At around 1700 Hrs we were to make our first stop where we could get down from the train. It was at a place called Capreol. The temperature outside was -17 Degree Celsius. As I stepped out into the biting cold it was already beginning to go dark. In my heavy jacket and gloves I was warm but I could feel the cold air as I breathed. This was the lowest temperature I had ever encountered in my life and I kept beating this record in the next four days. Since the start of the journey I had wanted to take a look at the locomotives driving 'The Canadian' and this was a good opportunity to do so. I walked over to the front of the train and had a good look. Our locomotive for the journey was the GPA-30H. A General Motors built machine, built for passenger coaches and is rated at 3000 Horsepower. A bit low for a passenger train but since this was primarily a tourist train power and speed didn't matter much. The Capreal Station was nothing to write about. Just a lonely building set beside the tracks. Nothing fancy nothing big. After a good exercise to my legs I went back inside the train to my seat. Other passengers were just hanging out. The break was a relief for the smokers amongst them who all took a puff. The stop was for just 30 mins and we left the station soon.
I had Dinner at around 8 pm. I had the same Veg Burger again. After dinner I spent some time sitting in the deserted dome car looking at small towns passing by glowing in the dark. Soon with not much to see I decided to go back to my seat.
Somewhere around 11 pm I slept. This was going to be the test if I can survive the sleeping ordeal. Since I had the adjacent seat empty I stretched myself horizontally across the two seats and kept a towel that I had under my head and slept. With the train rattling rhythmically along slowly I drifted off to sleep. And thus ended my first day on 'The Canadian'.
For those of you who dont like to read heres a video of the whole trip.
