CHOO-CHOO! I'm back with Day Two from Tracks On Tracks - aka VIA on VIA!
Remember when I said we had iffy wifi on the train, ya. No posting daily for me...but here are you visual recaps a few days late.
You can see written updates here: by Grant Lawrence (don't believe everything you read) on CBC Radio 3 and by Cody Alan Gregory on the Tracks On Tracks website!
Day Two began with late breakfasts (or just toast for me after the late night before) and amazing views as we rode through the Rockies...
It's pretty awesome when you turn wide corners and can see the front/back of the train.
I took a few quick shots of the waterfalls (it was announced that they were coming up) and then this one because it made me laugh:
Running joke #432 from the train? "Bear On Left!"
Twice in one day this came over the loud speaker...first was for a mama bear and two cubs (I only got a blurry photo of them) and once for this guy:
Did I mention that the food on the train was amazing? I'm going to do a blog post just on the meals...because I can, and it was that delicious.
Jamming, songwriting and practicing happened all throughout the train on a regular basis. I was lucky enough to have Sidney York as my neighbours. I pretty much know this song that they were writing in the photo below and it's not even finished. Train benefits.
Finally our first major stop: Jasper, AB. We piled out of the train, right into the rain, already confused after jumping an hour ahead with the time zones. Rushing into the station to set up we found a nice little overhang for the bands to play under (conveniently the two bands pictured above) and were greeted by an audience of both friends and strangers who had heard about the performance in the paper...
Before I left/during Craft Beer Week I hatched a plan to bring a growler on the train, which if you read the first post, you'd know that Grant Lawrence smashed it when it was full of Steamworks beer!
Well the plan was to get it filled at the stations along the way...and this is where the Jasper Brewing Company came through. While I was shooting photos they popped by and left me a new growler that I'm happy to say did NOT smash, and in fact has now made it all the way back to Vancouver. I'll have a separate post for our yet-to-be-named beer club on the train!
We piled back onto the Canadian and had some time to relax before/after dinner. Somehow in the confusion of the train and my attempt to get the first day's post up I missed two epic shows: including The Belle Game in the front of the train, whom I hear blew a fuse!, and Adaline in the Park Car (the rear of the train) whom I hear brought tears to peoples eyes. That's when I decided not to post until after the train.
...and then came the first of the evening performances in the Green Couch Activity Car - a car which we pretty much took over for the entire train ride with music, drinking and partying.
Maurice and Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party threw down killer sets - and during TLGLTP the car was BOUNCING as we zoomed towards across the prairies. When it hit no-shirt-o'clock there were lots of bare chests dancing around (guys only to my knowledge) and Shred Kelly joined the train at the Edmonton stop, mid-shenanigans, and were immediately welcomed with open arms.
Finally, for SOME REASON, in the late evening hours, people gravitated to the Park Car - which was not exactly a car we were allowed to have a party in...but we did...only once...and it looked like this:
