Jasper to Prince Rupert

I arrive at the ViaRail station about one hour before departure on June 1 and they are already on the lookout for me. Easy to spot a biker if you are wearing a helmet. There is bad news and good news. The bad news is that this train has no baggage car and it cannot take my bike. The trailer and Bobby bag are OK, they can come along as carry on. The good news is that the Greyhound bus depot is in the same building and they can transport my bike from Jasper to Prince Rupert, at my own expense. ViaRail assists me to get the bike box over to the depot and all is arranged in about 15 minutes. That was a close call. Initially I am pretty upset about this and plan to send

a letter of complaint to ViaRail but later when I check the e-booking confirmation I received from ViaRail when I booked this trip it clearly states that checked baggage service is not offered on the Jasper to Prince Rupert train. The ViaRail folks in Winnipeg were not aware of this either, they accepted my stuff and marked it as checked baggage straight through to Prince Rupert.
The train trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert is 1100km and takes 2 days. It used to be known as the Skeena but ViaRail dropped all names for the different routes with the exception of the Ocean (Halifax to Montreal) and the Canadian (Toronto to Vancouver).
This train is only 2 cars long, the first has the regular seating arrangement and the second is a combination dome/entertainment car.
The Skeena departs on schedule at 12:45pm. The first part is through the Rocky Mountains with fantastic views of many snowcapped mountains. Gradually the valley widens and slowly the mountains disappear and are replaced by a landscape of rolling hills with woods, farms, rivers and lakes. I spotted 4 black bears this first day on the train. The train arrives in Prince George on schedule around 7:10pm and will stay put for the night. Bob and the Bobby bag can stay on the train. I booked a motel in Prince George a long time ago. It is a 20 min walk to get from the station to the motel. A quick bite to eat and to bed, I am tired.
The next day the Skeena is supposed to depart at 8:00am but when I arrive at the station the travelers are informed that a freight train is coming in and is going to sit on the tracks for an hour or so. Nobody knows the reason for this. ViaRail is leasing the tracks from CN and freight has priority, we just have to wait. We depart at 9:15am and are now scheduled to arrive in Prince Rupert at 9:30pm, that is if there are no further delays. This is going to be a long day. The landscape past Prince George is the same as before, rolling hills etc. It is after the small town of Houston that things become interesting again. We are now going through the coastal mountain range and follow the Skeena river to the coast. We cross a few very high bridges, see gorges and waterfalls, a great trip.
We arrive in Prince Rupert shortly after 9:30pm and I have a bit of a problem. I have a trailer, Bobby bag, four paniers but no bike.  There are taxis waiting at the station and the first one I try can take all my stuff. The bus depot is closed, the bike will have to wait until tomorrow. I ask the driver to drop me off at a motel close to the bus depot. After checking in I walk over to the depot and see a bike box with ViaRail tape all over it through the window. Yes, my bike is here!
Today is Friday June 3 and I write this update at the public library in Prince Rupert. I have wheels again and they are in good shape. Picked up the tickets for the ferry this morning and also bought some food but only the stuff that won't get me in trouble when going through USA customs tomorrow morning. There is always the chance that they won't let me in. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. The ferry for Juneau is scheduled to depart at 9:15am. I am not willing to give up comfort just yet and will have another night in the motel.