Day 2 on the Rocky Mountaineer
June 26, 2025
Almost the same routine as the previous day. We woke up early to catch the bus, which took us to the Rocky Mountaineer depot and station. Then, we boarded the train and were on our way before 9 AM. The train follows the Thompson and Fraser river valleys for a second day of scenic travel. Again, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and lunch. We appreciated the meals, which were a pleasant surprise since we can be a bit particular about our food choices.
Interestingly, this leg of the journey from Kamloops to Vancouver follows a route where eastbound and westbound trains have separate tracks. This should mean no unexpected stops for oncoming freight trains, and hopefully, it should lead to an on-time arrival in Vancouver. However, we experienced an unusual delay on our trip due to track maintenance, which caused our train to wait for repairs before continuing. This postponed our arrival in Vancouver by a frustrating 7-8 hours.
The stay at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel in Vancouver marked the end of the Rocky Mountaineer portion of the trip.
Click on an Image to pop up a larger version.
Rock Mountaineer Rounding Bend
The Kamloops area has a semi-arid climate characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters. The city's location in the rain shadow of the Coast Mountains influences its climate.
Thompson River
Explorer Simon Fraser named the Thompson River in honor of his friend David Thompson, a fellow Columbia Basin explorer.
Hells Gate, Bridge and Tram
Hells Gate is an abrupt narrowing of the Fraser River. Rock walls force the waters through a narrow 115 ft wide passage. It was an infamous obstacle for early explorers.
Scuzzy Creek
A small tributary of the Fraser River, notice the bridge that carries the Canadian Pacific tracks on the northern side of the river, while we ride on the Canadian National tracks.
Kamloops Lake
Kamloops Lake is a 29-kilometer-long and up to 152 meters deep freshwater lake that forms from the widening of the Thompson River. It is located amidst an arid desert landscape.
Further Down the Thompson River
The Thompson River consists of two main branches. The branches are the North Thompson (210 miles) and South Thompson (206 miles), which converge at Kamloops.
CNR Cisco Bridge on Fraser River
The CNR bridge is a truss arch bridge designed by Waddell & Harrington and was built between 1913 and 1914. The CN bridge is 247 meters long and sits 67 meters above the Fraser River.
Mixing of Fraser and Thompson Rivers
The clear blue waters of the Thompson River merge with the muddy Fraser River, creating a visual boundary where they flow side by side before mixing.
Goats! On a Hill
There was much interest from fellow passengers in seeing wildlife from the train. Here we see goats (yellow circle), but we also saw a few eagles and a couple of bears along the way.
Fraser River Rapids
The Fraser River system offers some of the most diverse whitewater rafting experiences in North America. It is also a major producer of salmon, with its tributaries serving as spawning grounds.
CPR Cisco Bridge on Fraser River
The CPR bridge was designed by Joseph Tomlinson. It was prefabricated in England and shipped to Canada in 1883 and built by the San Francisco Bridge Company.
The Last Photo Taken on the Train
This was taken as the train crossed the Chilliwack River at 5 PM. We were 90 km from the hotel, but we would not arrive until 3 AM.