From Jasper we took a side trip by train to Prince Rupert, British Columbia on the Pacific Coast. What was different about this leg of our train trip was that it was out and back - 2 days to Prince Rupert, and 2 days return to Jasper. Also different was the fact that the train had no sleeping cars, and so stopped overnight about half way in Prince George, where we had to find our own With not a great food selection on board, we picked up some rolls, sandwich fillings and snacks to take with us. Luckily when we turned in our car we didnt get charged for the windshield scratches which existed when we rented it. The scenery was okay, but kind of the same scenery weve seen along the way - lots of trees blocking the view, and after the mountains in Jasper and Banff National Parks, just not as impressive.
The most interesting part was our conversation with an older gentleman and the lively conductor (the only staff on the train besides the engineer
and mechanic) about train politics and the Canadian economy. It seems Prince Rupert is one of the largest container ports in the world and is about to get even larger. Ships from the Far East, especially China, feeding our need for cheap clothes and furnishings, unload their containers, which are then carried inland on guess what - the same tracks on which our train was traveling. Unfortunately freight trains in Canada are always given priority over passenger trains, so we spent quite a bit of time on sidings waiting for very very long freight trains to pass by. Weve been told that well likely get into Prince Rupert tomorrow 4 hours late.
In Prince George we stayed in an Airbnb, which was pretty nice, but a long hot slog from the train station. Once again, Google Maps done us wrong. When we got within a block of the place, the quick walk across the park was instead a hike up a very steep hill with probably 75 stairs. As there was no way we were going to drag 2 suitcases up there, we took the long way around.
got a text in the morning saying the train departure out of Prince George would be delayed by 4 hours, so at least we got to sleep a little later. On the way to the station Charlies suitcase wheel finally gave up the ghost. It had been losing tread throughout the trip, but is now totally gone, with just a metal core left. Then along the way there was another 3 ½ hours delay predicted. And finally we pulled into Prince Rupert at 6:00am – 9 ½ hours late! We did get to spend quite a bit of time in the Dome Car, unlike our previous legs where people would claim a seat in the morning and refuse to vacate it so someone else could have a turn. The scenery was quite nice – at least what we could see of it. It was misty and raining much of the time. I used the extra time to get another blog post out – amazingly we had good cell connection one of the times we were stopped at a siding waiting for the freight train to arrive and pass. And we spent more time chatting with the conductor and hearing more
about train politics. The best part was getting a tip from a fellow traveler about a restored 1920s hotel in Jasper called the Hotel Athabasca where we could get a very nice, but tiny room, sharing a bath, for $139 Canadian, saving some from the $175 we had booked at a private home. Best of all with a broken suitcase, it was right across the street from the train station.
A 6:00 am arrival, then we shared a taxi into Prince Rupert (the train station is not close), arrived at our hotel in time for the included breakfast, slept a few hours, and then had breakfast again – just ½ day left in Prince Rupert. It is also the gateway to Gwaii Haanas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with rainforest scenery, abandoned Haida villages and totem poles. I wish wed have had time for that. As well as a cruise ship stop, Prince Rupert is on the ferry route along the inside passage from Vancouver to Alaska (a future trip!).
