Rocky Mountaineer Rainforest to Goldrush Westbound

The Rainforest to Goldrush Route. Travel by train past stunning lakes, through the tranquil coastal rainforest and the desert-like conditions of the Fraser Canyon into the vast ranchlands of the Cariboo Plateau. Experience Canada train travel through gold country where prospectors and gold seekers came from around the world to seek their fortunes in the late 1850s and early 1860s. You will visit the Gold Pan City of Quesnel, journey through the Rocky Mountain Trench, be awestruck by spectacular Mount Robson and cap off the journey in the largest Canadian Rockies national park.

The Rainforest to Goldrush Westbound

Day 1 Jasper to Quesnel Travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer from the mountain resort of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies to the charming rural town of Quesnel, gateway to the North Cariboo. Pass through the Rocky Mountain Trench, with the steep Rocky and Cariboo mountains either side, and on to the rolling hills and vast forests of British Columbia’s northern interior. Highlights include Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Yellowhead Pass and Moose Lake. Your day concludes as the Rocky Mountaineer passes through the town of Prince George and follows the Fraser River into Quesnel. Overnight in Quesnel. B, L.

Day 2 Quesnel to Whistler Your journey continues south today to the four-season resort of Whistler. Enjoy breathtaking and varied scenery, from the desert-like conditions of the Fraser Canyon to the rolling hills and vast ranchlands of the Cariboo Plateau to the river canyons and lush farmland of the Pemberton Valley. Highlights include sweeping views of the Fraser Canyon, the crossing of Deep Creek Bridge, one of the highest railway bridges in the world, and the shorelines of glacial-fed Seton Lake and Anderson Lake. Your rail journey ends today on arrival in the resort town of Whistler, host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games alpine events

Scenic Highlights:

Anderson and Seton Lakes – Anderson and Seton Lakes were once one large body of water. An ancient landslide, resulting from a tectonic shift along the fault line of Christmas Mountain, made the large lake into two. The piece of land separating the two lakes became an important trading route to the Upper Fraser. Rounding Seton Lake, the train hugs a narrow shelf between the lake on one side and sheer cliffs on the other. The distinctiveness of these two lakes is reflected as the diverted glacial melt-water changes the colour of Seton Lake from clear blue, like Anderson Lake, to a silty turquoise green.

Cariboo Plateau –A powerful sheet of ice a mile thick created this intensely glaciated plateau. Grinding mountain peaks into valleys, the ancient glacier left behind a dry and pastoral landscape. Rolling hills, endless forests and vast cattle ranches are characteristic of the area.

Fraser River –The mighty Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia and the 5th longest in all of Canada. The rushing waters carve through rock layers and carry sediment from the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Georgia Strait and the Pacific Ocean. Heavy with sediment, the waters are a muddy brown to milky green. Named after Simon Fraser, who originally mistook the river to be the Columbia River, the Fraser produces more salmon than any other river system in the world. It is estimated that 10 million salmon travel up the Fraser River to spawn each year and First Nations people continue to use traditional fishing methods along its shores.

Fraser Canyon –South of Quesnel the Fraser has eroded a deep canyon that extends all the way to Hope, with steep sides soaring up to 600 metres (1980 feet) above the water.

Rocky Mountain Trench –Leaving Prince George the rails turn southeast into the remarkable Rocky Mountain Trench. The longest valley in North America, the trench sits wide and deep between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Cariboo and Columbia ranges on the west. It extends from just south of the Yukon border all the way to the Canada-US border and beyond.

Tête Jaune Cache – A sandy haired Iroquois man, nicknamed “Tête Jaune” or Yellow Head, gives this spot its name. The man not only worked as an interpreter for European traders, but he also trapped fur in this region. He stored his bounty in a cache nearby during the winter until he could cross the Rockies to the nearest Hudson’s Bay Company out post in the spring. The path he took is now called the Yellowhead pass. Once home to 5000 people, Tête Jaune Cache was a teeming scene during the construction of the railway.

Mount Robson – Soaring a majestic 3,956.5 metres (12,972 feet), this heavily glaciated peak is the highest of the Canadian Rockies. Dropping into Berg Lake to the North and Kinney Lake to the South, this mountain is a towering giant compared to the snow tipped peaks that surround it. Originally, this great mountain was named Yuh-hai-has-kun, meaning “The Mountain of the Spiral Road” by the aboriginal people in the area.

Jasper National Park – Declared a protected area in 1907, Jasper Park is the largest of the Canadian Rockies National Parks. Parks Canada oversees the management of the national parks with the goal to preserve them foremost as a place of nature but also as a place for people to visit, experience and learn. Significant numbers of elk, moose, bighorn sheep and other large animals make Jasper National Park their home. Other highlights include Miette Hot Springs, Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake and the northern portion of the stunning Icefields Parkway