Western Canadian Rockies (WCR) – Day 10 – To Kelowna

This morning we left Banff and head to Kelowna.  Unfortunately, the weather is not going to cooperate today. We have a heavy cloud cover with rain threatening. Here is the view from the hotel just before we leave. As you can see at the moment, we can see the mountain just outside of town.

As we continue out of town and head west on CA 1, the clouds have dropped and begin to cover the mountains.

 

We travel into Yoho National Park and rain begins to fall.  With the rain and the clouds coming around the mountains make for interesting viewing.

 

We follow the railway tracks and in one location, the railroad line was too steep to traverse in a straight line so they cut a spiral in the mountain.  Trains do a 360 degree spiral while in the tunnel coming out at about the same location only at a different elevation.  You can see the two tunnel entrances, but unfortunately, we did not see a train entering or leaving at the time we were there.

 

Here is a graphic of the train line with the two spirals.  The tunnel entrances in the picture above are tunnels labeled1 and 2 on this photo.  

As we continue driving west, we leave Yoho National Park and move through the country side to Canada’s Glacier National Park.  Still following the Kicking Horse River, we see the mountains in the background.

 

Traveling along the road, the rain and heat from the woods creates a ground fog where the trees are both in and out of the fog bank.  I am impressed with the visuals that I am unable to justify by taking a picture through a rain covered tinted window and driving at 60 mph.

As we move into the Canadian Glacier National Park, some of the mountain tops open up above the cloud and fog cover.  At every turn, the clouds clear in places or cover up the mountain.  Each mile provides a dramatic view.

We enter Rogers pass through the Columbian Mountains.  Here portions of the roadway have avalanche covers to protect cars and trucks.  This is not one of our better pictures, but with the relfections, low lighting, and vehicle speed it at least shows the road roof.

We travel through Mt Revelstoke National Park and stop at the City of Revelstoke for a lunch break.  As we are leaving, I spot and quickly take a picture of a snow plow train.  As you can see it is not a very good picture, but it is an old unique piece of machinery.  Now days I think they use giant snow blowers and it would had been great to see one of those.

We did not take too many pictures today and it is still raining as we get to Eagle Pass where they drove in the last railway spike to complete the Canadian Pacific Railroad.  As we get to the plaque commemorating the last spike driven, a train begins to go by.

After arriving in Kelowna, we head to the Summerhill Pyramid Winery for dinner and a sampling of wine.  Here is Art and Adrian getting ready for dinner.  (To bad, there will be no wine for Adrian since he is driving.)

And here is our tour group enjoying their Champagne (Sparkling wine), wine and dinner.  Tomorrow is our last day on tour as we head back to Vancouver for our farewell dinner. 

 

 

After dinner, on our way out, we checked out their wines they had on display. There was angood sampling of wines, including a couple of ice wines. The ice wines went for $85 and $120 per bottle, so I am coming home without any ice wine. Ha, ha, ha.

 

Bob and Carmen.