So, the time has come to leave Big Bar Ranch. We've had a great stay, in our cosy cabin
and made some new friends
So, an hour down the gravel road to Clinton, where Bridget bought the cowboy hat to match her riding, then south down the Gold Rush Trail. Some of the terrain alongside the road north of Cache Creek was interesting, with ridges on the lower slopes of the valley sides.
At Cache Creek we headed east, and stopped for lunch at Juniper Beach Provincial Park, alongside the Thompson River, with a railway running along each side of the river.
A train lumbered by on our side; mixed freight, largely containers stacked 2 high. Imagine taking that down the Hastings line, Jules.
And so on into Kamloops,. under darkening skies. We checked into our economy motel, then headed downtown, to find our way blocked by a train at the level crossing.
This was more mixed freight - lots of grain wagons taking corn from the prairies to the west coast (we subsequently saw coal trains rumbling past the same spot). Then there was sawn timber being shunted, uncut lumber in the sidings, a train spotter's heaven - if only there was some passenger traffic too.
Well we crossed the Red Bridge to explore the northern part of Kamloops, and as we drove west along en elevated road we saw, not just any old passenger train, but the Rocky Mountaineer. The girls snapped at it through any available window.
Meanwhile, I did a U-turn as we watched the train follow a looping track back into town. Back over the Red Bridge, to find the train heading for us. B and I abandoned the car, nipped through someone's garden to find the buses meeting the passengers off the train. Ignoring all funny looks we strolled up and snapped the loco.
So, Jules, that's your lot. Meld says "No More Trains!"
And then the heavens opened, the thunder crashed, and Kamloops (described as hot and arid, getting just 10" of rain a year) enjoyed a serious downpour. C'est la vie - the skies are clearing now, so fingers crossed for the morrow.