Train Wreck
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
The sun was shining as we set out for the Train Wreck trail in Whistler. We had a visitor with us from England who liked walking but was not used to climbing heights and we thought this would be a reasonably level hike for her. We arrived at Function Junction at 10 o'clock, turned left and parked by the Millar Creek Cafe. After coffee, we set off on the trail which can be reached out of the end of the parking lot. Coming soon to the signboard at the foot of the Flank Trail, we carried on along the level path, passing a curiously-located picnic table and soon came out at the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Red ribbons on the far side showed our destination and we crossed during a gap in the traffic in both directions.We now followed a trail which wound along the narrow space between the road and the railway, emerging at the track by an overview of the Cheakamus River. We found the continuation on the other side a short distance further south and now the trail wound between the railway and the river. The Cheakamus was pale blue and frothy at its viewing spots and is magnificent just here. When the trail came back to the railway, we followed the track edge until the trail led off again toward the river. We realised that the railway is active and we kept our eyes and ears open for trains.
We continued in this way until we were faced with the sight of large railway boxcars in the midst of the forest of trees. It is amazing to think how they could have got here. Evidently they were thrown from the railway with great force during a derailment; and as you progress, you realise that there are lots of cars sprawled in various directions The cyclists have had a field day building trails around and sometimes over the tops of the cars. The train wreck is believed to have occurred in the late '50s, so the fifty year-old trees will be ones that have grown up since the wreck occurred. But the cars somehow made their way past the older trees which are also there in abundance. We followed the trail briefly further on until it reached the track again and then had lunch on a bluff on the other side.From here it is possible to continue briefly at the track edge and then pick up a track on the far side which goes over a ridge and down to the Sea-to-Sky Highway just where a bike trail comes up to the road from the Brandywine Falls-Calcheak-Whistler part of the Sea-to-Sky Trail. However, our walk today was intended to be a short one for our visitor so we turned around and went back via the train wreck. While we were still on the river side of the railway, we heard the sound of a train coming and hurried along to reach a mound by the track's edge as the Whistler Mountaineer passed. At another point we decided to explore an alternative route on the road side of the railway but I find the river side more attractive. Reaching Millar Creek Cafe, we had coffee before heading back home.
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