A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel by train across the Western five provinces of Canada’s expansive land. From my window of that moving train, the world seemed to compress into a sequence of framed images. Between the steady clickety-click of steel wheels and the slow hush of air, the vast landscape unfolded. Witnessing the transition from the peaks of the Rockies to the expanse of the Prairies was a particularly memorable experience. In the distance, a chain of snow-capped mountains anchored the horizon between the restless golden grasses and the wispy clouds in the azure sky. This photo is one of many favorites, as it captures an incredible panorama of the diverse vistas visible from my coach.
The prairie itself is subtle. It can change from green to gold to brown and many shades in between in a matter of moments! Meandering streams often cut through the grasslands; their motion seemingly synchronized with the train’s steady speed. Both large and small lakes offer glimpses of hope as well as mirrors under the expansive sky. Occasional fences and windbreaks punctuate the openness. Farther away from the rails, herds of small dark shapes graze and lift their heads as the noisy engine announces its presence. But their grazing, after only being momentarily paused, resumes as the “Iron Horse” rolls on.
The rugged mountains, with their white crowns, majestically provide a sharp contrast to the prairie’s boundless flatness. I felt a sense of quiet grandeur as daylight shifted imperceptibly as the train advanced. Observing the landscape while in motion leaves me with a lasting impression of a grand living tableau. This wide vista is only a singular snapshot of a memorable experience that melded sweeping beauty, calm, and power on my journey across Canada.
