Friday July 21, 2006 is day three of our west bound journey from
Prince George to Prince Rupert, BC. At 131 miles it is our second longest
day in terms of mileage. The addition of a great side trip at Hazelton, BC
to see the Ksan (Indian) Historic Village meant getting into Terrace after dark.
The weather dial is still set to "beautiful" and that is the only way to
describe the entire day!
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7:15AM - CN Rail Host John Armstrong and our escort today CN Foreman David
Valdez review their paperwork. This is similar to track warrants.
However, in this central traffic control area we are treated as a work party
and given a "block" which often ends on a siding where we wait for a passing
train. How cool is that?
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7:54AM - Three miles out of Smithers we pass the Kathlyn Glacier making the
closest approach any train in Canada gets to a glacier.
9:55AM - Between mile 28 to 36 we cross Boulder Creek, Porphyry Creek and
Mudflat Creek on three curving trestles 158 feet high. The trees hide
the true scale of these tall bridges.
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According to our guide book this is some of the most "rugged country any
train in the world travels through." We stop between bridges on the
high rock shelf to get photos of the river below.
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Your web page reporter Wayne Parsons 300 feet above the
river.
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9:55AM - There are 10 tunnels on our trip today.
Mark Werner in Car #18 enters the one at mile 40. Both the
picture above and at right were taken at the east entrance.
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Car #20, with Elizabeth and John Monhoff operating, enters the tunnel at
mile 40.
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Side Trip to Ksan (Indian) History
Village |
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MP 45.9 -
Three villages share the name Hazelton in this area. They are
Hazelton, New Hazelton and South Hazelton. Our bus driver, Hazel,
wanted us to know she was from Hazelton.
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10:47AM - Hazel did not make us sing any campfire songs.
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11:26 AM - The Ksan History Village is built on a peninsula formed by the Skeena and Bulkley Rivers. This fishing village
site faces the water
which was both highway and food source for the natives.
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11:35AM - Our
native guide explains that the buildings were made of Cedar planks. Buildings housed multiple families -
all members of one clan. The raven, wolf, turtle, etc., symbol of the clan
is on outside of the
building.
The totem poles each have their own story but, the
story is known only to those who paid the carvers.
The most important symbol is at the bottom and the
least important at the top. The despised Indian Agent in a hat is often found at the
top of the pole.
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11:40 AM - We enter the buildings for presentations about the surrounding
artifacts and lives of the natives. The Ksan slept in family groups
around the platform we are sitting on.
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12:15PM - Wooden raven, frog, and wolf masks.
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(Above) 1:47PM - Long lines at the historic village gift shop
delayed our departure from there by 45 minutes, so our stop at New
Hazelton has been 3 hours. We've still got about 80 miles of track
left today.
(Right) By 2:38PM we've reached the Andimaul 6530 foot
long siding at MP 68.1 where we wait for two passing freights that arrive
at 3:13PM and 3:34PM.
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3:57PM - Scenery west of Andimaul.
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4:09PM - Mile post 74.1 west of Kitwanga
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4:18PM - near MP 77 the Seven Sister's mountain is across the river.
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4:57PM - around MP 80 we stop for another view and photos of
the Seven Sisters Mountain.
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5:23PM - Cedarvale at MP 85 - Mark Werner and meet coordinator Tom Phair
chat while we wait for another "block."
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6:35 PM - MP 119 - At Usk is one of three remaining
reaction ferries in British Columbia. Large rudders catch the river's
moving current to slide the ferry along the guide cables to the other shore.
The motor boat on the right is for emergencies only.
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MP 119 - we're in the hole on a small stub track. |
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Earl Leeson and CN Foreman David Valdez talk shop
about hy-rails. The eastbound freight arrives at 8:07PM.
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8:56PM - MP 132 - Arriving at Terrace we pass switchers
working in the yard. This has been a fabulous day full of
interesting railroad engineering, dramatic scenery, and local history.
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