On August 3, 2003 our family left for a vacation to Canada (mainly Banff and Jasper National Parks).  In Spokane an eastbound empty coal train was stopped in Empire Siding with a great lashup (EMD 9017, BN 9641, BNSF 8950).  We continued on up to the Canadian Border without seeing much.  At Eastport ID/Kingsgate BC we stopped for customs.  Stopped there as well was a southbound manifest (CP 8548, 8605).  We got back under way and arrived in Cranbrook, BC around 3:15pm.  In the yard there were several units including CP 5790, 9015, CEFX 100 and 1006.  While shooting a couple of pictures a railfan from the area came up to us and we talked for little awhile.  He was on his way to work and had just stopped by to see what was in CP's yard.  Anyway we left and headed up to a lake an hour north of Cranbrook.  We set up camp and relaxed for the evening.

     The next morning we drove to a hot springs were we soaked for a couple of hours before heading up towards Yoho National Park.  The first train of the day was at Brisco, BC at 11:10am.  It was a northbound coal train with 126 cars (CP 9724, CP 9635(DPU)).  We arrived at Golden, BC around noon and in the yard there were 2 southbound coal empties (CP 9728, 9718(DPU) for the first train and CP 9617, 9700(DPU) for the second).  Also in the yard was CP 5626, 9001 and several other units.  We then headed east following CPs mainline.  At Field, BC a CN detour train was stopped waiting for some MOW to clear (CN 2555, 5532).  We set up camp about a little further at a campground and then headed up towards the Spiral Tunnels.   The MOW guys still hadn't cleared so we expected that there would be several trains once they did.  We decided to hike down to the lower spiral tunnel so we parked at the overlook and headed down the embankment.  After about 20 minutes or so we arrived at the Tunnel portal.

     Upon our arrival we found that we weren't the only ones that had decided to hike.  Already in there was a railfan from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan named Dale.  He was up for a week or so.  The MOW finally cleared and the first train was a westbound CP stack (CP 9508, 5795, 5866, 5765).  A few minutes later we heard the rumble of an eastbound in the distance.  Sure enough pretty soon the Rocky Mountain Railtours train rounded the bend with 29 cars (RMRT 8013, 8011, 8012).  We quickly ran up to the upper track to get a couple more photos after he had exited the spiral tunnel.  We figured that after he had cleared the CN detour train would come and we were right.  CN 2555 led his 108 car coal and hopper train uphill and into the tunnel.  Again we ran for the upper track to see him.  He exited the upper portal in a cloud of smoke (there aren't any fans to blow the smoke out of the tunnel).

     We decided to head back up to the car but we had only gotten a little ways when we heard a westbound manifest.  Quickly running back we set up for a last shot with the mountains in the background.  Well the sun went behind a cloud just seconds before the westbound manifest arrived (CP 8643, 5736).   Then just as the tail end passed the sun came back and we walked back to the car.   Saying bye to Dale we drove back to camp for supper.  Later that evening we chatted with the campers next door who we found out were railfans also.  At 8:45pm an 87 car westbound stack train threaded its way through the tunnels and down towards field (CP 6006, 5760).  The next train was the westbound Royal Canadian Pacific with the Royal Clubhouse Golf Excursion (CP 1900, 1401, 1400).  The last train of the day was an eastbound stack at 10:20pm with just a single unit (CP 9600).

     After a good nights sleep we broke camp and headed east towards Banff National Park.  We arrived at Waterfowl Lake Campground about 11:00am and picked out a good site.  After lunch we hiked up to a little lake and then back.  On the way back I stopped by a waterfall to try some longer exposure shots.  My brother and I rode bikes in the evening and just relaxed a little.   Early the next morning I walked out to the lake to get some reflection shots.   A little later we drove down to Lake Louise and poked around in the different shops for a while.  Then we saw a film on grizzly bears and drove back to camp.  My grandparents arrived around 4:00pm and we ate supper.  It started to rain and we quickly put up tarps and rain flies over the table and tents.  We next played some games before retiring for the night. 

     When we got up next morning we broke camp, loaded up the cars and headed north for Jasper Alberta in Jasper National Park.  After finding a campsite and eating lunch we decided to head for Miette Hot Springs.  On the way over we saw a male elk with a good size rack.  After soaking for a couple of hours we drove back to the town of Jasper.  My dad and I split and headed for CN's yard in town.  At the station the American Orient Express was in town heading east (CN 9671, Amtrak 383).  Also there was a Via Rail westbound  stopped with 4 cars (Via 6434).  There was a little spur track with another Via and 4 passenger cars (Via 6442).  A eastbound manifest pulled into the yard (CN ????, 5078) while they switched to CN units around and put them on the front of an eastbound coal empty (CN 2526, 2642).   I walked down to get a photo of Mt. Edith Cavell in the background of the eastbound CN coal empties.  Afterwards we joined back up with the rest of the group and went to a pizza parlor for supper.  By the time we finished eating it was raining again and on the way past the eastbound CN empty coal train a rainbow formed.  I quickly shots several pictures and we continued on.  A little later we noticed that the rainbow was now a double rainbow and it spanned the entire sky in a wide arc.  It was really cool to be able to see a double rainbow across the whole sky.  Anyway we arrived back and camp and played a couple of games before heading for bed.

     The next morning my dad and I got up at 6:00am and left for the CN tracks at Jasper a couple of miles distant.  The first train around was a westbound manifest with 98 cars (CN 5528, 5284).  Following 15 minutes later was another eastbound but a 108 car stack this time (CN 2660, 2566).  This entire time an eastbound manifest had been waiting to go but just as the second westbound cleared a eastbound stack pulled up and headed first (CN 2407, 5409, 5431).  Finally the eastbound manifest got the go and started out (CN 5360, 6018, 5364).  After he was gone the sun came up over the hill and we headed back to camp for breakfast.  We then packed a lunch and headed up to Maligne Lake to take a boat tour.  On the way up we say a young black bear run across the road.  Due to the recent fires in the area it was really smoky so we ended up not going on the boat ride.  Instead we walked along the lake shore.  I was getting a little bored so I decided to try my luck at shooting the wildlife.  Well the only wildlife big enough to make a nice shot that I could find were little ground squirrels.  They would stand up on their hind legs and look at you curiously and if you were quiet and kept your movement slow they would let you get quite close to them.

     After a little while a helicopter started dipping from the lake with a bucket and dumping it on hot spots across the lake.  So I ran about a mile along the lake shore to get close so I could watch him.  He kept it up for about 45 minutes before heading back to a base.  I walked back to the car and we headed back down the road to a picnic area so we could eat lunch.  On the way we saw a mother moose and calf and a little black bear cub.  At the picnic area there were lots of little chipmunks that were quite tame and would sit and beg food.  I had fun photographing them while the others relaxed after lunch.  At 3:55pm we saw a westbound manifest in Jasper (CN 5249, 5543).  After supper my dad and I again went into Jasper for a half an hour or so.  An eastbound manifest was pulling out of the yard (CN 5503, 5543) while another eastbound manifest waited to leave (CN 2579, 2564).   At the station a westbound Via train was stopped (Via 6438).  We tried unsuccessfully to catch up to a westbound manifest but it went off away from the highway.   Afterwards we drove back to camp.

     My dad and I got up around 7:15am and headed out.   An eastbound manifest was sitting just before the yard (CN 5604, 5623) and the Rocky Mountain Railtours was stopped (RMRT 8013).  Also in the yard was a westbound coal train waiting to depart (CN 2502, 2630).  At 7:50am an eastbound auto and manifest arrived (CN 2530, 5652).  After this we arrived back at camp a few minutes later.  We decided to head to Maligne Canyon to hike so we all loaded up and left.   On the way we stopped at an overlook looking down into the valley and I decided I would stay there while the others went on.  I stayed because I could watch trains and with my telescope I could even read the numbers!  The first train was at 10:05am and was a westbound manifest (CN 2561, 5662).  The next train was a LONG one with 175 stack cars heading west (CN 2448, 5418, 5269).  After an hour and a half another train finally showed up.  An eastbound coal empties (CN 2553, 2615).  By this time everyone else had done the hike and had arrived back to pick me up.  We next drove to the Jasper lodge for my grandparents to check out.  On the way they dropped me off near the tracks.  Waiting to come out of Jasper yard was an eastbound manifest (CN 5414, 2414, 5381).  At 12:35 the Eastbound Via #2 flew through (Via 6436, 6441).   Then 10 minutes later a westbound manifest and auto arrived (CN ????, 5078, 2569).   On the way back to camp we saw another eastbound manifest (CN 5600, 5444).

     After lunch we drove up to Mt. Edith Cavell.   My brother and I hiked up to several ledges and waterfalls while the rest of the group took an interpretive self guided hike to a glacier lake.  We climbed down from where we were and met up with them at the lake for the walk back to the car.  On the way back to camp we stopped at Lake Edith Cavell and saw a little ferret.  After that we drove back to camp and relaxed for the evening.  The next morning our family packed up, said goodbye to my grandparents and struck out for home.  The south entrance to the park was closed so we had to go out the way we came through Golden, BC. Just after Lake Louise we caught up to a westbound stack with just one unit (CP 9149).   At the spiral tunnels we passed the westbound Rocky Mountain Railtours with 11 cars (RMRT 8014, 8012).  The next train was another westbound stack at the Yoho National Park entrance (CP 9729, 9139).  Then at Golden we caught up to yet another westbound with just one engine and a long string of manifest (CP 9151).  At the Golden, BC yard there were about 10 units as well as a southbound manifest waiting to depart (CP 3066, 9665). 

     At Brisco, BC we met a northbound coal train (CP ????, ????, 9720(DPU)).  We reached Cranbrook, BC at 2:40 where a southbound manifest was waiting to depart (CP 9138, 9614).  Another southbound manifest was passed at Yahk, BC just after crossing back into the Pacific Time Zone (CP 9610, CEFX 1023).   The next train we saw wasn't until we got to Elmira, ID where we met an eastbound Z-train but didn't see the head end.  At Boyer the detector went off but we never saw the train.  Finally at Hauser, ID BN(BNSF) 8008 lead a westbound stack train.   We arrived at Spokane around 5:15pm and found an eastbound hopper train (BNSF 719, 4159).  The Erie Street local was moving a couple of cars around at Erie St. in Spokane, WA (ATSF(BNSF) 2959).  Finally the last thing we saw was Amtrak 29 which was parked at the Amtrak depot in town.  We arrived home about 6:00pm after a 10 hour drive.  It was a great trip and awesome to see some CN and CP trains.  Until next time enjoy!!