California Zephyr to Reno

December 10, 2015 Taking the California Zephyr to Reno
The California State Railroad Museum has a program with Amtrak where docents board the Zephyr in Sacramento and during the ride to Reno they narrate the history of the Sierra Nevadas and building the railway. My sister is one of these docents so I decided to ride up today and back tomorrow to hear her. The narration can only be heard in the cafe and the observation car.
The forecast was for torrential rains in the Bay Area and 1 to 2 feet of snow at the summit. Last night we got a little rain. When I got on the train in Richmond, the sun was shining but clouds were evident on the coast. As we travel east toward Sacramento, the skies are clear.
As we start our climb into the mountains, I can see dark clouds ahead. I’m hoping we see some real good snow as we get higher.
The train is very full. There are a number of people on board taking the train the whole way to Chicago. If you have the time, this is a fun way to travel. In the US, the tracks are owned by the freight companies. Amtrak pays to use them but must go onto sidings when a freight needs the tracks. This leads, many times, to passenger trains being late.
The train to Reno from the Bay Area takes 7 hours. It can be driven in 3 1/2 hours. In the winter, it is much safer to take the train. The rest of the year, most people drive.
The snow started around Blue Canyon. As we approach the summit, the snow is starting to stick to the ground. The train is moving too fast to get a good picture with my tablet.
We have gone through a few very long tunnels that were built to avoid track closure by rock slides or avalanches.
We arrived in Reno 20 minutes early. I’m staying at the Eldorado since they gave me a reduced rate. I had a nice dinner with my sister Bette. Since she plays slot machines and I play cards, we parted ways after dinner. I ended up even at the end of the night. As anyone who gambles knows, I consider that winning.
December 11, 2015 Reno to Oakland on the Zephyr
Up early for breakfast then over to catch the 8:30am train home. It was 35° outside and the train arrived 20 minutes late. On the way to Truckee it looks like they got about 6″ of snow overnight at the lower levels. At the summit it looks like about a foot of snow. Much better than last year but we need a lot more to fill the depleted reservoirs.
The train picked up time and we got to Sacramento 45 minutes early and to Richmond 35 minutes early. The trip was fun. The train ride was smooth and comfortable with outstanding views.
We traveled from the Bay Area winter in the 50°s and sunny and green, through fall foliage and then hit real winter and snow. Only in California!