After the late arrival into Prince George and then late dinner on Wednesday, I took an early morning walk in Prince George and we walked to the train station by 7:15 to check our luggage and be ready for an 8:00 departure (see my post for August 9 and 10). Unfortunately, there were freight trains blocking our passenger train and the eastbound train for Jasper (scheduled to leave at 9:20). We had to wait for trains to be shuffled around and we finally boarded at 9:25 and set out for Prince Rupert.
We only went for about two hours before we had a long stop (we had several shorter stops) - and much to my surprise, we were allowed off the train to stretch our legs. Note that we were in the middle of nowhere when we did this.
We got back on and started west again, and after a couple hours, we stopped again and were allowed to get off the train to stretch our legs. At this point, Via Rail's conductor was telling us it would be about midnight before we got to Prince Rupert. This news was greeted with minimal grumbling.
We got back on and started west again. About 5:30, we stopped again and were allowed off the train - and got bad news. The engineer had been working for twelve hours and had to be replaced, much as pilots and air crew are limited for safety reasons. So we all got out and walked around - for about 90 minutes. Some people got to actually enter the engine. And I got about three miles in walking back and forth on the tracks parallel to our stopped train.
The new engineer came and we got underway again. Once on the train and back where there was cell signal, a couple of us got emails saying our arrival in Prince Rupert would be seven hours late - 3:30 Friday morning instead of 8:30 Thursday evening. As if this was not enough, when we looked out the window, the smoke from the many forest fires that had bothered us in Hope, B.C., had followed us - you can just barely make out the setting sun (in the center just to the left of the tree) because of all the smoke.
After dark, people started making themselves comfortable and trying to sleep. Several times I awoke when the train was completely stopped, waiting for freight trains to pass us. Finally, about 4:30 I awoke for the last time and tried checking the status of the train on Via Rail's website. While I had been successful Thursday and last saw a projected 4:30 Friday morning arrival, when I checked online, there was no information about our train - the only info was about Train 5 leaving Jasper on Friday. Our train had simply disappeared. I later found that a new app was available and on that app, it showed our arrival at 6:00 a.m.
We as you might guess, around 6:00 our train stopped at the Port of Prince Rupert - again to wait for freight trains to move - and it was another hour plus before we got to the passenger train terminal and could deboard and reclaim our checked luggage.
Michelle, the owner of Grizzly Transportation, was there to meet us and drive us to the Inn on the Harbor, where we checked in around 7:30 and had breakfast. This was the view from our room.
The hotel was very nice.
After breakfast, Patty and I both took a nap for a couple of hours, showered, repacked and checked out of the hotel by noon. We went next door for lunch and had beautiful views from our table.
As scheduled, Trent from Grizzly Transportation picked us up at 1:20 and drove us to Seal Cove Sea Plane Base for our flight to Ketchikan with pilot J.J. and two other passengers.
We arrived before we left because of the change of time zone and the flight was only 50 minutes. Megan and other Misty Fjord crew met us and helped unload.
We passed the yacht Itasco (complete with two helicopters, one zodiac and one small boat) as we left Misty Fjords and went to clear Immigration and Customs.
And then we began the next leg of our adventure, a week in Ketchikan with Megan.
We only went for about two hours before we had a long stop (we had several shorter stops) - and much to my surprise, we were allowed off the train to stretch our legs. Note that we were in the middle of nowhere when we did this.
We got back on and started west again, and after a couple hours, we stopped again and were allowed to get off the train to stretch our legs. At this point, Via Rail's conductor was telling us it would be about midnight before we got to Prince Rupert. This news was greeted with minimal grumbling.
We got back on and started west again. About 5:30, we stopped again and were allowed off the train - and got bad news. The engineer had been working for twelve hours and had to be replaced, much as pilots and air crew are limited for safety reasons. So we all got out and walked around - for about 90 minutes. Some people got to actually enter the engine. And I got about three miles in walking back and forth on the tracks parallel to our stopped train.
The new engineer came and we got underway again. Once on the train and back where there was cell signal, a couple of us got emails saying our arrival in Prince Rupert would be seven hours late - 3:30 Friday morning instead of 8:30 Thursday evening. As if this was not enough, when we looked out the window, the smoke from the many forest fires that had bothered us in Hope, B.C., had followed us - you can just barely make out the setting sun (in the center just to the left of the tree) because of all the smoke.
After dark, people started making themselves comfortable and trying to sleep. Several times I awoke when the train was completely stopped, waiting for freight trains to pass us. Finally, about 4:30 I awoke for the last time and tried checking the status of the train on Via Rail's website. While I had been successful Thursday and last saw a projected 4:30 Friday morning arrival, when I checked online, there was no information about our train - the only info was about Train 5 leaving Jasper on Friday. Our train had simply disappeared. I later found that a new app was available and on that app, it showed our arrival at 6:00 a.m.
We as you might guess, around 6:00 our train stopped at the Port of Prince Rupert - again to wait for freight trains to move - and it was another hour plus before we got to the passenger train terminal and could deboard and reclaim our checked luggage.
Michelle, the owner of Grizzly Transportation, was there to meet us and drive us to the Inn on the Harbor, where we checked in around 7:30 and had breakfast. This was the view from our room.
The hotel was very nice.
After breakfast, Patty and I both took a nap for a couple of hours, showered, repacked and checked out of the hotel by noon. We went next door for lunch and had beautiful views from our table.
As scheduled, Trent from Grizzly Transportation picked us up at 1:20 and drove us to Seal Cove Sea Plane Base for our flight to Ketchikan with pilot J.J. and two other passengers.
We arrived before we left because of the change of time zone and the flight was only 50 minutes. Megan and other Misty Fjord crew met us and helped unload.
We passed the yacht Itasco (complete with two helicopters, one zodiac and one small boat) as we left Misty Fjords and went to clear Immigration and Customs.
And then we began the next leg of our adventure, a week in Ketchikan with Megan.
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