Thursday, 18 September through Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Each morning we woke up to a new landscape as we traveled through the four western Canadian provinces.
Western Cordillera
Friday, 19 September and Saturday, 20 September
Three mountain systems make up the Western Cordillera. The coastal range and Columbia mountains are volcanic, while the Rockies are made of sedimentary rocks.
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| While not seen on the train, Mt. Rainier near Seattle was prominently visible as our flight neared Vancouver. |
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| Another volcano, Mt. Baker was visible as we made our way out of the Vancouver area. |
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| There were many cedar log rafts making their way down the Fraser River. |
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| North Thompson River |
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| Sunrise in the mountains. |
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| Burned-out gas pumps in Jasper - a result of a devastating wildfire in 2024. |
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| At Jasper, the Rockies go from colorful (above) to gray (below). |
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| The Rockies south and east of Jasper are shades-of-gray limestone. |
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| We leave the Front Range of the Rockies and enter the foothills. No more mountains. |
Prairies
Sunday, 21 September
Eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are Canada's prairie provinces. While there is some mining and fossil fuel extraction, agriculture dominates.
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| Canola harvest. |
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| Potash mining leaves huge mountains of slag. |
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| There's a grain elevator along the tracks every 5 to 10 miles. |
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| Prairie sunset. |
The Canadian Shield - Trees & Rocks & Water
Monday, 22 September and Tuesday, 23 September
The Canadian (or Laurentian) Shield exposes the basement rock of the North American continent. These are some of the most ancient rocks on earth. Ice age glaciers have carved lakes into the rock. This is the land of the beaver.
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