CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR, EMERYVILLE TO DENVER - DAY ONE (Mark)

I have wanted to try the train trip on the Zephyr for quite awhile, and have the chance to see the Sierra Nevada, and the Rockies, from a different vantage point. 

I have driven or ridden my motorcycle through the Sierra Nevada on both paved and dirt roads.  I have only driven a couple of times through the Rockies.  But you need to pay attention to the road, and you only see some of the scenery.

One of the first photographs I took through the window was of the massive refineries in the Richmond area.  I have seen these many times from the Interstate 80, but this time the view was different.

Cheri was intrigued by the amount of moss and lichen growing on these power lines along the track outside of Davis, CA:

Leaving the Colfax, CA station, you can see the old rail car they have as a static display.

Almost all of the pictures are taken from the window of our sleeper berth.  We are getting into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range.  We had wonderful clouds in the sky, and we were really getting into the completely relaxed, and watch-the-scenery-roll-by mode of travel.

As we got near Truckee, CA we began rolling through ski resorts and we were seeing more snow.

The town of Truckee, CA from the station:

If you have a chance, the town is definitely a visit.  It is very busy whatever the season with outdoor enthusiasts using the town as a point of departure, and to get the things they need for the mountains.

The Truckee River is a frequent scene of some fishermen being guided, and rafted, to the best fishing holes near town.

As you roll down into the Nevada side of the Sierra Nevada, you will see the scenery changes, quickly and dramatically.  This whole area is a basin where the infrequent rainfall has no outlet, and you begin to get large playas.

As we headed to the dining car for dinner we were rolling through the high Nevada desert heading toward Elko, NV.  The sun going down really lights up the plateaus, and in the distance you can just see the traffic on Interstate 80.