My jet lag was still kicking in a bit, and I kept waking up at odd hours.  I did manager to sleep until 7, and then it was off to -- argh -- Denny's for breakfast.  That sets some kind of a record.  Three meals in two days at Denny's.  Back on the bus and then on the train at Prince George.

Today dawned, well dawn was actually at 3:30 AM or something -- bright and sunny.  We were in for a truly gorgeous ride up to Chetwynd.  We all find it humorous that with all the 42 comfortable seats in the rear of the car, most of the passengers prefer to sit on folding chairs up in the baggage compartment with us.  This complicates our life a bit as they are in the way if we have to get a quick shot.  And quick isn't the word.  The animals we see are almost always gone by the time we get the camera turned on.  John has managed to get deer, elk, bear, a small moose, and some lesser animals.  But the large moose, and especially the bears, seem to sense the camera and bolt for the trees.  We have missed some great pictures of eagles grabbing fish, but it's one of those things where you just have to be rolling tape and lucky when the shot appears.

This area is gorgeous.  Once we got out of the trench between the coastal mountains and the Rockies, we started to climb into the Rockies themselves.  It's a lot of snow capped peaks, steep mountains, isolated lakes, and trees (aspen, birch, spruce, etc.).  The train crew said that even though there is a good highway in the area, it is just a forgotten part of the country.  Which in a way is good, because people would just spoil it.  It does get a lot of snow and cold in the winter (one trainman said they really didn't get much - only about 8 feet per snowfall - he was serious) and mosquitoes and black flies in the summer.  In fact, I couldn't believe how large one mosquito was that I killed.  But it's beautiful, with panoramic vistas of sky, mountains, valleys, and plains that go on forever.

The rail tour is about what I expected, although there are too few run-bys because there is a push to go as far as we can.  This makes for some long days and we have missed some really great photo opportunities.  Admittedly, there are only so many shots you can get, but I think the passengers would like some relief.  In fact, we are all still "in motion" once we get stopped, as our inner ears think we are still rolling down the rails.  I found out a little more about the Budd RDC-3 car today.  It was extensively re-engineered by BC Rail, and while the principle is the same -- two diesel engines, each driving a transmission, which in turn runs a driveshaft and a differential to power one axle -- the cars have been extensively rehabbed by BC Rail.  They now have two Cummins engines, running a truck transmission, and an APU (auxiliary power unit) to run the generator and all the on-board electrical systems.  The engines are still liquid cooled, with the radiators and thermostatically controlled cooling fans on the roof, which gives the RDC series the very distinctive "vistadome" bubble on the roofline.  The RDC-1 was able to be powered from either end, being a commuter car, but the 3 series has power at one end due to the half baggage and RPO configuration.  There were several other types built -- the 2 series, which was passenger and baggage, a 4, which was all baggage, and a 9, which was un unpowered trailer.  These are the ultimate in rail-speeders.  Fast, self-contained, air conditioned, a small galley, and able to haul loads of people and luggage.  Of course, you could cut the passenger load, put in a couple of compartments with berths and baths, and you would have the ultimate railcar.

But back to the ride. I can't say enough times - it was beautiful scenery.  Just breathtaking!  The run went to Chetwynd, and then turned onto the Dawson Creek spur.  We managed to pop off an interview with Derby Grossman, the engineer, and Marvel Gammon, one of the trainmen for A-roll coverage of the trip.  Fortunately, even without prompting, they talked about the material we had seen and shot.  So, I'm happy.  We have probably one more interview to do, and more scenery.  We are over budget on videotape (again!) but there is so much stunning scenery to shoot, that we hate to miss it.

We arrived about 10 PM, and the bus picked us up at the railyard.  We saw milepost 1 of the Alaskan Highway, and then found the only place in town still open -- a Boston Pizza.  We almost had an international incident, as the couple from the Netherlands was the last to be served, and they couldn't order any beer because the bar had to close at 10:30.  Boy, were they hot!  In all seriousness, everyone was a little tired.  This long, long push to get as far as we can is just a bit too much.  I heard that this trip was originally a nine day trip and was shortened to six days this time, but the route stayed the same.  It is just too long to be riding.  It becomes an endurance test instead of a rail vacation.  They bussed us to Chetwynd and we got into the motel at 1 AM.  Only to find that the A/C didn't work in my room.  I was too tired to complain so figured I'd straighten it out in the morning. 

Yikes, but 5 AM comes around early.  The only saving grace is that it is light out.  But while we were waiting to load the car -- in the rain -- the train crew was eating breakfast and the car was on the other side of the yard.  The crew made up for their gaffe later in the day, however.

We did eventually get rolling and motored down to Wakely, about milepost 537.  From there, we took off on the Tumbler Ridge Division line, a branch (chord line) which hauls coal out of the Rockies.  It is a fairly recent addition, circa 1983, and features ribbon rail and fairly high-speed running.  It also has the distinction of two tunnels, one about 4 miles and another about 7 miles in length.  It also features some spectacular scenery of high mountain forest, meadows, and streams.  It was just fabulous. 

The coal mines at the end were sort of anticlimactic,  because all you could see were the loading towers, but the ride up was beautiful.  At one point, we had caribou running next to the train.  We started an arrival pool at this point, as to what time we would actually get to the station in Prince George.  We did some on camera "How do you like the ride?" things, and then pretty well wrapped up this segment.

We hit the mainline back at Wakely, and the Sugar and Buttercup Express (those involved will understand the reference) continued to wend its way down to Prince George.  On the way we saw bear, grey fox, and more moose (yup, Bullwinkle was seen).  We made very good time under the expert ministrations of our stalwart crew and pulled into the station in time for a relatively early dinner and to bed.  Tomorrow is the last day and we are off for an early start once again - 5:30 AM.  In many respects I'll be sorry to see this end.

This is a very beautiful part of the continent, and one I'd like to see again - particularly in the fall.  And I'll bet early winter is spectacular as well.  There is a friendliness to the people that only seems to exist in regions where people must depend on each other for their existence and survival.  The tour group is interacting very well, and everyone if having a very good time.

Another couple of lighter days would be a nice addition.  But as it stands now, its off to bed for the early start.  Of interest is the sedimentary nature of the soil. It's called gumbo by the locals, and is very sandy.  There is a real need to water crops a lot, and it is very unstable.  The maintenance on the railroad must be very high, as washouts and slides are very common.

June 27

Argh.  Another 5 AM day.  And the sun wasn't as high as yesterday.  Of course, we are further south.  We trundled down from Prince George today, with the rail crew pushing it pretty hard.  Like a horse sensing water, they saw the end of the trip approaching.  And the scenery was again, spectacular.  It was sunny when we went over the mountains next to the Frasier, and one view is simply better than the next.  The passengers were all wonderful, and it was the crew showing all the wives around that really made this trip better than normal.  Once the women became comfortable with the train, everyone just fit together and started to have a wonderful experience.  There was a lot of good-natured kidding and joke telling.  The crew indicated that they had never seen a tour group like this.  It was just one of those fluky things where everyone fit together.  And when the day was done everyone was sad to see the tour end.  Friends were made, addresses were exchanged, and one would like to think that the entire experience was both rewarding and therapeutic.

What things in particular will I recall?  Forests of pine and birch so dense that it seems that you can't walk between the trees.  Teeming wildlife, with lots of eagles, deer, moose, bear, caribou, and elk.  Breathtaking scenery, ranging from rolling plains over which you can see thunderstorms rolling in, or spectacular sunsets.  Deep canyons with rushing icy streams at their base.  The rain in the distant mountains with glorious rainbows.  The mighty Peace and Frasier Rivers - both placid and tranquil, but tumbling and turbulent just a hundred miles away.  And the mountains -- snow capped, craggy and forested, casting their brooding and majestic presence over the land below.  Mountain lakes and snow-fed ponds that seem like a tranquil painting as moose stand and eat and beavers swim, both looking up, startled as the train goes rushing past.  I'll remember the flash of an eagle landing in a tree which jutted out over a small lake.  I'll remember the friendliness of the people.  And I'll remember the train, and while it certainly isn't the quickest way to get there, it is a wonderful way to see the countryside.

June 28

I got to sleep until 8:30.  Yes! Then laundry, paperwork, and I think John and I will go explore things.  Gary rented a car and went off to see some of his amateur radio friends. John and went exploring in downtown Vancouver.  It's a very pretty city, clean, and scrubbed. I'm certain that there are seamy sections, but we didn't see any.  Of course, all the rain helps keep it clean as well. Vancouver, like Seattle, has its problems with vagrants, and you do see a lot of that around, including the street musicians, who appear to be one step up the food chain from the standard pan-handler.  Whatever it takes, I guess. We hit a double bill at the Imax theater, which was Wild Alaska and a film on a Russian dive on the Titanic.  The images were great, but the Titanic thing was a little weak in story.  Alaska was magnificent and had a lot of animal shots.  We both wondered how long they took and what was the shooting ratio.  To get there we used public transportation to take us across the sound.  The Seabus was a fairly nice way to go, and dumped us from one tourist quay onto another.  And there were a lot of people using it.  There was supposed to be a Russian Fox Trot class submarine here for tours, but we didn't see it.  It was a gorgeous clear night, with great visibility. This was a rare day in the Pacific Northwest.  Sunny and bright, everything was splendid.

June 29

The weather was back to normal today, with gray skies and rain.  We saddled up and headed up to Horseshoe Bay for the ferry ride to Nanaimo, which took about 90 minutes.  We shot some stuff as we went to put into the CanFor segment, and got off the ferry about 12:40.  The ferries, by the way, hold lots of vehicles, including semi's, buses, and the usual spate of campers.  Then it was a drive up to Campbell River along the shore of Vancouver Island.  I'm not sure what I expected, but it mostly looks like an imitation of the Northern Wisconsin resort areas, complete with go-kart tracks.  The motel is fine, and the sun is out up here.  The town closed at 4 PM so it's notes and dinner.  Cash is getting short.  We are all pretty tired.  The number of miles had more of a debilitating effect that I would have anticipated.  Only a few more days.  Perhaps Woss Lake will be a little more rustic.

We checked out of the motel late and proceeded to drive up to Woss Lake.  Once we left Campbell River, civilization seemingly faded in the rear-view mirror. If you like trees and the woods, you would love it here.  Because that's all there is.  The motel at Woss Camp is brand new.  It has TV, but no telephones.  And the area consists of the motel, and a gas station/general store/restaurant/video rentqal shop/bar.  For something to do, we drove to Port Alice at the end of the island.  Small towns, with apparently a high teenage pregnancy rate.  I guess there just isn't much else to do up here.  It's pretty country, but my idea of an Internet cafe would probably fall flat.  Back to the motel, dinner, which was surprisingly expensive.  I guess everything has to be ferried and trucked in.  It may be a long couple of days here.  But it may be very relaxing.  I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow.  It will feel good to be doing something other than traveling.

July 1

An interesting day, was this.  We got out for the usual 8:30 call and found our contact, Mike Gaudet, at the rail office, which was just down the hill from the motel.  And he proceeded to tell us that all the people we were supposed to talk to were not in.  Nor was the passenger train running.  In fact, it hadn't run in just under two years.  I was about ready to pack it up and move on.

But we went out to shoot some static shots of the steam locomotive, a nicely polished Mikado (2-8-2) and before we knew it, the operation superintendent was at our side, as were the forestry expert, and the operations engineer.  The superintendent, Dave Summers, gave a good on-camera talk, and then proceeded to take us all over the area, extolling the benefits of logging, and how they respect the environment while still keeping a self renewing operation in progress.  It was a little unnerving to be blasting along on the logging roads, sharing with big, big log rigs, while Dave was pointing out some interesting tidbit.  I'm not a good rider.

The company plans out about 80-100 years in the future, which I would think would make marketing rather difficult, particularly with the genetic engineering strides being made.  But the operation never clears more than a patch of trees.  In doing so, they provide a continuous belt of old-growth timber for wild life shelter.  The new areas, which spring to life within a year, provide lots of food for the animals.  In fact, there is so much wild life - bears, deer, elk, and cougars, that the company must keep a very careful eye on maintaining a stable ecosystem.  And we saw plenty of game.

The process is to cut an area for the building of a road, and then put a logging road in place.  Then a patch of 65-100 acres is cut.  The logs are pulled out by a variety of methods - helicopters, skylines (which may stretch as much as 8,000 feet into an area), long lines, or long boom cranes called super snorkels.  The logs are loaded onto trucks for transfer to one of four reloading areas, where an A frame crane picks up the logs, one truck load at a time, and deposits them on a railroad car.  The cars are then moved twice a day to Beaver Cove for a sorting operation by lumber type, and then dumped in the water for towing down to mills along the island.  The old-growth forests provide continuous belts throughout the land, and you can easily see the old timber, and the new.  Lightning strikes take out some timber about 6-7 times per year, but generally these fire areas can be incorporated into the standard logging plans.  It was certainly not the picture of "Paradise Destruction" that outfits like Greenpeace portray.

It was a long day, and we got a lot done.  Tomorrow we are up early and off to Beaver Cove for more on this story.  The restaurant serves more than ample portions, and we are certainly pegged as the new folks in town.  Everyone knows everyone else's business.  It is after all, a lumber camp, with a total population of just under 800.  The camping is great, the solitude is wondrous, the forest and wild life are beautiful, and the bugs are murder.  I reek of Deep Woods Off.  But in all fairness, they are not as bad as in upper BC last week.  TV is pretty bad, and I have never been in a place where when you ask the car radio to scan to a new station, it just keeps on clocking through the bands, always repeating and never stopping.  To bed.  We can finish this tomorrow.

Up early and off to the Mike Guadet's office.  The restaurant here at the motel is interesting.  They have one speed -- slow.  I was the first one in at 6:03 AM, and it still took until 6:45 to get breakfast.  To their credit, dinner was faster, but that was later.

We headed down to Mike's office and then out to reload area number 4 to catch the 7 AM train.  Which was delayed for an hour due to an air leak.  It finally went down the track and we did a drive-by and a trestle shot.  This first trestle was a combination rail and truck trestle, and I had some trepidation driving over it, as I thought my tires might get stuck.  Had I only known what was next I wouldn't have been worried.

After the shot we headed off to Beaver Cove to see the largest dry land sort in North America.  And just before we got here, we turned off on the usual dusty logging road and proceeded to disappear into the forest and surrounding woodlands.  As John commented, "If a boy with a banjo greets us, I'm outta' here."

Dear Ford Motor Company:  Your Windstar performs admirably at high speed on logging roads.  Some additional ground clearance would be nice, but overall, the ride was rough but serviceable.  We did not rip out the oil pan, but the drainage ditches did give us some concern.  The crew is of the opinion that the Canfor drivers went to the same driving school that I did, but stayed a couple of extra weeks.  This was confirmed later in the day when the operation supervisor took us high into the mountains in his new Dodge Ram pickup.  Grades of 24% were no problem.  The van, however, would definitely have been beat to death on those roads.  But I digress.

The dry land sorting area was interesting.  It was all a paved area, with the logs unloaded from rail or truck and then put into piles, where they were individually graded.  They were then picked up and put into holding bins, until a large stack was made.  The large stacks of the same grade and type of wood were then banded, weighed, and dumped into the water where little Tippy Tommy boats called sidewinders pushed them into large rafts or booms.  The booms were then floated down to the mills around Vancouver.  The machinery to do all this is immense.  They pick up the logs as if they were toothpicks.  It's a 24 hour a day operation, and there was a lot of activity.

Then it was back to the mountains where the operations superintendent took us up to logging areas to see the various types of log retrieval systems.  After the logs are cut, there are several ways of moving in and picking up the logs without moving all over the landscape.  They use long armed cranes, skylift cables, cables from a central steel pole (spar) and a few tracked vehicles that run on mats set on the forest floor.  The logs are placed on trucks at about 100 tons per load and moved down to the rail load points.  It was an interesting process, and through it all, we saw lots of evidence of wildlife.

By the time this was finished, so were we.  It was back to the motel, and a brief celebration:  It's the end of this trip.  Tomorrow it's back to Vancouver and trying to deal with Canadian customs.  In the meantime, dinner and bad television.

July 3