July 1st - Prince Rupert by rail and bike (mostly rail)

 

Marieka had a great idea to cook a double dinner last night, so we were able to pack a dinner along for the train.

All loaded up and ready to head out.

 

We got up early, I made a hearty breakfast of eggs and facon, with 2 slices of Carbonaut bread for Marieka and 2 hamburger buns for me. We did the dishes, got all loaded on the bikes and off to the train station for 7am. It as early to get the bikes tagged for the train (thankfully, there was a baggage car again). Waiting in the station, a lady started telling Marieka about the people she's running away from, that police don't believe her, and that these people have been doing this for years, have stolen a lot of money from her, and I think I heard a comment about things being dropped from the sky to hurt her. Marieka and I talked about it and weren't sure if this wwas actual, or a sign of other problems for this woman. I think we were both relieved that she was on a different train.

After loading the bikes on the baggage car, we were allowed on board. We grabbed some seats int eh newer car and settled in. Most of the other people headed to the observation car to claim seats in the second level.

In our comfy seats on the train

 

We guessed at where we were as the train headed West, following the Nechako River. We made good time through Vanderhoof and Fort Fraser, then the train slowed on reaching Fraser Lake. As it wound along the South shore of the lake, we talked about the ceremony of mourning we had attended at the grounds of the Lejac Residential School after the 215 were discovered in T'Kemlups Te Secwepemc territory, on the grounds of the residential school there.

It felt to me that the train knew the ground it was travelling towards and was slowing to be appropriately sombre. I thought of the stories of the children, brought by train away from their families and communities, in a colonial enterprise to erase their culture. The train passed an industrial site, and then we were at Lejac, looking up from the tracks at the flat field that's all that remains.

We had to wait for a freight train by the Pinnacle Pellet plant before Burns Lake (the first of many delays for freight trains), making us 20 minutes late getting into Burns Lake. At Smithers, the break was cut short, but again, we had to wait for another freight train.

 From Smithers, we climbers into the mountains and things became more interesting, with us heading into the observation car more. We never managed to be in this car for a tunnel, so this will be a goal of mine for the way back.

All smiles when we checkied out the observation car.

 

Lunch in the newer car

Train rules - no Festival Express apparently

Front of the upper level of the observation train in the rain.

Looking out the back of the observation car

 

After Terrace (an hour and a half late) the train follows the Skeena River, with stunning mountain and rivr views, even after the high cuts away to Prince Rupert.

 

The Coast Mountains heading out from Terrace

Dorreen, a very isolated community

View from the back of the observation car

Back-care exercises in the newer car

Following the highway and Skeena River

Instead, we passed along the South Side of Kaein Island, by the old Cannery and into Port Edward. Two more freight trains and we finally pulled into Prince Rupert an hour and a half late.

Grain terminal viewed from Port Edward... Waiting for another freight train.

Marieka was crashing, so ate a Keto bar and then we were off, through Prince Rupert, past the striking container port workers, following Hwy 16 until I wondered how much further to the hostel. It turns out that I had mis-remembered how far up the hill it was, and we turned around, headed back a couple of blocks and found the hostel. We checked into our room, shuttled in out bags, locked the bikes to the railing out back, and sank into bed.

I wish I could say I spelt well, but I fell asleep late, woke up a few times, the final time an hour before the 6:15am alarm.