Flotsam and Jetsam

“There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful”

Paul Simon

It occurs to me that in the course of these extensive prolixities I must at some point have explained that – during my adolescent years – my family was really quite different to many (if not most) others such. That we did not have a television during the period (the 60s) that that infernal device was the be-all and end-all of many folks entertainment (and indeed, education) is simply down to my father’s notions as to what was (and what was not) good for our minds. That we did not have a car was more prosaic, ruled out by my father’s weak eye musculature (the which resulted from a childhood illness). The thought of my mother in charge of a motor vehicle scares me even now – and it is no surprise that the very notion scared her too.

I do know for sure that I have previously recounted tales of my father’s strong pride in his Scottish ancestry and his desire – just as soon as we young ones were old enough to travel – to visit the land of our forefathers. Such was the draw of the highlands that, for the best part of the next decade, we holidayed nowhere else.

Not driving (and certainly not flying, back in those inceptive days) meant travelling by train. It is a truism that rail travel was somehow more elegant back then. The place settings in the dining cars were of porcelain, damask and silver plate; we slept in bunk beds in twin-berth sleeper compartments, waking in time to see ourselves safely across the border and into our native land.

Further, back in 2016 I wrote the following in a post entitled, “Steam“:

“In a way my first introduction to Canada came through the railway magazines that my father collected from his early life right up until he passed away. I gazed in awe at the black and white photographs of enormous North American steam engines hauling trains of apparently endless length through the staggering Rocky Mountains. I recall also being astonished that there could be a place on this earth called ‘Hope’ – and when it came to spiral tunnels and avalanche sheds… my eyes bulged and my jaw dropped in disbelief! Could I ever hope(!) to see such wonders?”

All this, of course, by way of a fanfare for perhaps the most anticipated part of our recent sojourn in the Rocky Mountains; our train journey from Jasper to Vancouver.

Here be pictures. Enjoy!

This is the Canadian National station at Jasper:

These sights may be seen from the train:  Mount Robson – the highest peak in the Rockies

Pyramid Creek Falls – in the Pyramid Creek Falls Provincial Park

A brief break in Blue River to stretch our legs:

Whenever I inform folks – here in Canada and elsewhere – that The Girl and I spent a couple of nights in Jasper, their first instinct is to enquire about the residual damage from the 2024 wildfire. For those readers who know nothing of this dramatic event this brief detail comes from the Jasper Travel website:

“In July 2024, Jasper, experienced a historic wildfire, the largest in the past century, affecting over 32,000 hectares and causing significant damage to homes and businesses.

Despite the adversity, the town’s spirit remained strong, and recovery efforts have been swift and collaborative. While some areas were affected, much of the park’s breathtaking landscapes remain untouched, and the resilience of our community shines as we rebuild and welcome visitors back to our beloved destination.

Jasper continues to be a place of awe-inspiring wilderness, and we invite travellers to experience the beauty, adventure, and warmth that define our town as we move forward together”.

It is true that should one look closely one can plainly make out evidence of just how close the fires came to the centre of the town; in some cases into it. There is also no avoiding the sight of the temporary housing for those whose properties were sadly lost. There are also extensive ‘portakabin’ villages housing the construction crews that are rebuilding the affected parts of the community.

Whilst in Jasper we went on an evening wildlife bus tour, guided by local conservationists. These good folks were surprisingly up-beat about the damage done, explaining that such events are natural and that nature itself is capable of recovering surprisingly rapidly.

Some evidence of this positive news may be discerned in these images:

Following the three day sojourn in Banff concerning which I posted last time out, our small band of intrepid travellers mounted a different bus for the transfer to Jasper – this latter being the location of our rendezvous with the train that would transport us through the Rockies.

This bus was another of The Girl’s excellent finds. Rather than sprint the relatively short journey from Banff to Jasper this excursion would take a leisurely whole day to complete the trip, enabling us to see an additional range of unmissable sights en route.

One of the promised – and perhaps the most dramatic of these sights – featured a visit to the Icefields.

I have walked on a glacier before – in Alaska – but there we were whisked onto the ice in helicopters. Here we were actually driven up onto the ice in the most extraordinary all-terrain vehicles. The pictures must be seen:

This extraordinary glass bottomed structure – the Jasper Skywalk – enables one to walk on air high above the deeply carved canyon:

Additional stops before a late afternoon arrival in Jasper were Peyto Lake (which everyone agrees is shaped like a wolf’s head!) and the spectacular Athabasca Falls:

On the second day of our hop on/hop off exploration of Banff National Park we visited the Lake Louise Gondola and Moraine Lake. The ride up the gondola is spectacular and brings home the sheer scale of the Rocky mountains. In the first image below you can just make out – in the centre of the photograph – Lake Louise and the Chateau.

Moraine Lake is quite possibly the most electric of the blue lakes – though it has to be said that it does have a fair bit of competition within the same national park.

There are, of course, many things to see aside from the many lakes and mountains.

‘Hop on Banff‘ was a great find on The Girl’s part and is widely praised in the various online guides. This photo is of one of their excellent teams – Lewis – the (English!) guide – and Bobbi the driver. Great fun  – great value and most flexible in the way that one can essentially construct one’s own itinerary.

Kudos!