A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2006 Toronto to Kamloops

Well, I've sorted through my photos up to just past Winnipeg.

As you know, this isn't the first time I did this trip - I did it back in the fall of 2k3.

Leaving Toronto at 9:00 a.m., March 4th, 2k6.

Arriving in Kamloops? Well, supposedly 9:50 pm on the 6th, but it wasn't really till around 1:00 in the morning on the 7th.

Things didn't go perfectly - nor did other parts of the holiday, which was shortened due to my getting sick. But the good times made up for the bad.

The following posts tell the story.

TORONTO TO CAPREOL, ONTARIO

Saturday, March 4th, 2006

9:00 a.m.

Left from Union Station. Jeff went as far as the entrance to the platform with me - unlike the last trip I took, he wasn't allowed to help me board the train. I don't know why that was; the train wasn't crowded.

I got settled into a front seat in the car - that gave me plenty of leg room and I was able to keep my big rolling bag and small hand luggage within easy reach.

That was a plus.

I turned on my new CD player and was able to listen to about 5 minutes of an audio book when it quit.

Well - that was a good start. I was later able to plug it in down by the snack bar tables.

There was no smoking car this time and that proved to be frustrating to all smokers.

The attendant announced that they were showing a film about the train which would be about 3/4 of an hour. I skipped it and ate a bagel Jeff had packed for me in my lunch bag.

Then I had a nap - it was much easier to sleep in my seats this time - I had learned from the last time that you put the two flaps up side by side and curl your body into it. The old comforter I rolled up for the trip came in handy - it made a very comfy little bed.

When I woke up we were rolling through the farmlands, forests, rocks, trees then the first major stop - Capreol, Ontario:









Capreol is a mainly a railway town and most of the people who live there work for the railway or are retired from the railway.

I smoked 3 1/2 cigarettes during the 35 minutes we were there!

Then we re-boarded - the next smoke stop wouldn't be till Hornpayne.

(The train has to do a stop like this every 8 hours or so - engineers cannot work over 8 - and the train has to be loaded with water and other necessities - at Winnipeg, the whole crew changes)

CAPREOL & ON

Leaving Capreol approximately 5 pm . . .

From then on till dark it was pretty well winter - this would be the scene right across the country - I certainly saw my share of snow:



I busied myself watching tracks in the snow alongside the train, arranging and re-arranging my luggage, trying to write poems . . .

Saturday train
rolls through the heart
of the country

Canada's wild
on display
by trackside

It was nice to see crows again.

(We haven't had crows in Toronto for about 3 years - the west nile got 'em)

Clumps of snow cling
to the pits of trees

Cotton you see
in movies
about the south

I was hoping for an early arrival in Horne payne.

We watched Schrek 2 and Dark Victory with Bette Davis - they were very good.

The clocks go back an hour that night, so it makes it just that much longer till morning.

White birch
stands tall
the ground thick
with littered yellow leaves

Words:

ripe/ground/explode/peace/know

(those were Alans)

The ground thick
with littered yellow leaves
under the layers
of snow

Saturday train rolls through the wild lands.

(Yes, we had a couple of cigs in Horne Payne - me and about 5 other desperados - not many of us left)

Horne Payne's train station is as desolate as the town itself they tell me.

TO WINNIPEG

Sunday morning:

Well, I know we stopped in Sioux Lookout - another dull station - these stations are hard to walk around in winter - nobody clears the paths.

I don't think I took any pictures there.

I had breakfast in the dining car - that is truly the height of entertainment on this winter train - it's hard without a smoking car - there's no real social life, other than the stops for smokes.

I had pancakes, bacon, juice, cereal - wasn't bad.

The views are pretty much snow - blowing snow.

I went back to sleep after breakfast - there's truly nothing else to do - slept a couple of hours.

And I did get the CD going.

By 2:35 we were on the prairies heading toward Winnipeg . . . now, I want to tell you - if you take this trip and think there's something exciting about trooping up the road from the station to the Forks Market, think again - you can see shopping malls at home!

And in winter, what a hike it is - it's all you can do to get over the lumps of snow!



5:30 pm - we're rolling out of Winnipeg. I bought some chinese food there and ate it for supper.

I called Jeff - bit was nice to hear his voice.

The new staff offered me more space - a double set of seats, but I turned it down - I liked my cozy little nest at the front of the train.

Our next break was at Melville at 10:00 pm.

Then sleep - then Edmonton in the morning.

The view? Pretty well ice and snow . . .





Then there's Edomonton - didn't take any pictures there either . . .

Then the mountain scenes begin.

wow carly! those pics are soooo pretty!! did you have fun? it seems like you did

Yep - it was great in Kamloops and up on the mountains near Ashcroft.

Hard living though - pretty primitive.

It was good to be with my daughter and her kids - and seeing my new grandson (pictures later).

Even though I got sick and it was miserable having to be in hospital overnight, then flown home, I still enjoyed it.

I was depressed at having to cut it short, but I have to shake myself out of that depression - life doesn't always go as we want it.

I still haven't put my mountain pics together, but I will.

hi carly,

looks like you had a great trip, great pictures

Wow , Carly! What a great experience (except for the getting sick part) and you've done a great job journaling the whole thing, it feels like I went with you!

Actually my journalizing wasn't as extensive as it was in 2k3 . . . I just filled in later.

You start seeing the mountains about a couple of hours out of Edmonton.





Then in the afternoon, the train rolls into Jasper. I did not take pictures there - I expected to do it on the way back, but as things worked out, I didn't come back that way.

the mountain pictures are great, looks like you had a good time, and it shows from your pictures

There could have been so many more pictures - but I must stop dwelling on this - it's depressing.

I'll be putting up my Kamloops pictures tomorrow morning, I expect.

I wish we had some mountains around here . . .

When we were out in the sage hills at Ashcroft (it's the sage belt - a desert) my daughter showed me some mounts that were landfill.You wouldn't know the difference.

wow! those mountains are BEAUTIFUL!! those would make excellent calendar/poster pics and that's ok that you couldn't get a bunch more pics...you can always get them next time!

Kamloops, B. C.