Rocky Mountaineer

We arrived in Kamloops this evening after travelling 263 miles by train through the Rocky Mountains. The first day of our two-day journey saw us travel through some of the mountain's driest region.  This meant that the canyon walls typically lacked vegetation and what plant life we did see along the route was often sparse.

Highlights today include seeing a log barge drag its snaking load down the river, watching impossibly long freight trains weave their way through spectacular gorges and Hell's Gate, a narrow river cutting spanned by a brilliant red footbridge. Dad was also thrilled to see two bald eagles, while I briefly caught a glimpse of a black bear lumbering along a distant ridge.

The Rocky Mountaineer train has already proven memorable even though the most spectacular part of our journey still lies ahead of us. We'll spend 12.5 hours tomorrow winding our way through the highest peaks and deepest canyons before reaching Banff.