This document provides an excerpt from an article describing the author's experience on a Rocky Mountaineer train ride through the Canadian Rockies. Some of the key details include: The author spots a black bear and her two cubs from the train as they navigate through a meadow. They are able to slow the train down and observe the bears at a close distance. The scenery passing outside the windows of the GoldLeaf carriage includes cobalt lakes, bighorn sheep on rock faces, and birds of prey circling overhead, as the train travels through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The document promotes Trailfinders tours combining the Rocky Mountaineer rail journey with other activities and destinations in Canada such as Vancouver, Ban

1. A Grizzly Train Ride to Savour by Pete Waters
Trailfinders’ Pete Waters enjoys a wild encounter on board Canada’s
Rocky Mountaineer Railway.
It’s early spring and a refreshing hint of dew dampens the air as she strolls through the open meadow. To the left,
a snow-capped mountain with fir trees shrouding its lower reaches. Further ahead a dark copse to explore,
but first, some long grass to navigate with two recent additions in tow.
A deep rumbling sound far off in the distance barely registers
and she gracefully continues through the grass. But it’s
getting louder, louder, closer, quickly building to a whirring
crescendo in the otherwise hushed wilderness. And then!
The rumbling has become a mere whisper, it’s close now,
closer, here.
The curiosity is too much and she pokes her head out of the
long grass to catch a glimpse of this visitor. A glimpse turns
to a lingering stare at the strange sight before her.
At that moment, we are perhaps fifty metres across from that
peaceful meadow, frantically trying to spot her as we make
our way through her majestic territory. The alert had come in
good time for us to slow to a crawl and she’s out there, we
are told, nonchalantly going about her business. But where
is she? We fret: perhaps she had been and gone?
As hope seemingly drifts away, somebody bellows ‘There she
is!’ and suddenly there she was, in all her glory. The finest
black bear in Canada we coo. But wait, some movement
behind her. I squint, my nose presses the window and two
puckish cubs disrobe from the cloak of the tall grass and
announce themselves to the human world, perhaps for the
first time. A treble-sighting!
Calm slowly returns as we linger at their meadow, before
leaving the little family behind to explore that mysterious
copse yonder, undisturbed.
The locomotive at the head of our train springs back into life
and we’re away, passing a cobalt lake to our right. To our
left, a posse of bighorn sheep eye us suspiciously from their
watch post halfway up a craggy rock face. I look above and
a bird of prey circles the wilderness menacingly.
I settle back into my Rocky Mountaineer seat, glass of red
wine in hand, somewhere high in the Canadian Rocky
Mountains. Sitting in our GoldLeaf carriage, our heads turn
as if watching a tennis match – the picture postcard outside is
changing all around us and we don’t want to miss a second.
The mountain town of Jasper waits, three hours thence I’m
told, but no matter – it’s spring time in The Rockies and we’re
enjoying the journey.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER
WITH TRAILFINDERS
Pete Waters
Pete is our Escorted Touring & Rail
Product Contractor, based in Kensington.
His next trip, in search of more wildlife,
is Costa Rica.
The Trailfinder
trailfinders.ie 35
One of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world!
The renowned Rocky Mountaineer train showcases the
majestic scenery of Canada’s West – a breathtaking
journey of glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains,
river canyons and forests. Two day journeys cost from
€000 per person including meals on board, drinks and
overnight hotel accommodation.
With Trailfinders you can combine the Rocky Mountaineer
with any holiday in Canada and our travel consultants will
be happy to organise any flights, hotels, cruise or fly drive
to connect with your journey.
Here’s some of our most popular holidays.
CANADIAN ROCKIES HIGHLIGHTS
6 Days Coach & Rail – Vancouver to Calgary.
From €0,000pp
Vancouver • Banff • Lake Louise • Calgary
Including Rocky Mountaineer, hotel accommodation,
touring, transfers & sightseeing.
GRAND RAIL CIRCLE
9 Days All Rail Journey
Vancouver • Whistler • Quesnal • Jasper • Vancouver
From €0,000pp
Including Rocky Mountaineer, hotel accommodation,
touring, transfers & sightseeing.
The Rocky Mountaineer would also make a superb
addition to one of our fly drive holidays in Canada.
For more information call Dublin
01 702 9110, Cork 021 464 8809, or
Limerick 061 292 700, and ask for your
copy of our USA & Canada brochure.
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