Rock and roll: An epic rail journey from Utah to Denver

All aboard

While the train may have a new title, Rocky Mountaineer loyalists will be pleased to hear that much of the Canyon Spirit experience remains the same as its Canadian cousin. And as a luxury rail travel newbie, I’m excited to see what all the fuss is about.

I first catch a glimpse of the train’s grand blue and gold exterior as it patiently awaits our arrival in the Utah sunshine, the rays reflecting off the spotless carriages. With the peaks of the Wasatch mountain range towering in the background, the smartly dressed crew lined up to greet us and a red carpet laid out atop the sand in front of our carriage door, I feel a spark of excitement ignite, which stays positively alight over the next three days.

After finding our seats, gratefully accepting a mimosa and toasting to the start of an epic adventure, Canyon Spirit’s locomotives spring into action and we’re underway. As we head southeast towards the outskirts of Salt Lake City, Crystal, one of the train’s culinary hosts, comes through the carriage to introduce herself and take our breakfast orders.

All meals are served at your seat and the menu changes daily, with a focus on local delicacies and speciliaties inspired by crops indigenous to Utah such as squash, beans and corn. For my first onboard meal, I opt for a fluffy Utah scone with scrambled egg – a dish, I find, is best enjoyed paired with views of majestic mountains and dramatic canyons.

While I could happily pass the time, quite literally, watching the world go by, our lead hosts Olivia and Mike provide commentary along the way, sharing lighthearted stories, fascinating anecdotes and interesting facts about the towns and landscapes we pass through.

Because we’re travelling in Premier Class (Canyon Spirit’s equivalent to Rocky Mountaineer’s top-level GoldLeaf Service), we can wander freely between the main carriage and the adjoining bar coach to enjoy a more laid-back atmosphere, thanks to the mellow playlist, never-ending supply of snacks and top-notch Aperol spritzes whipped up by lounge host Leigh. 

Moving mountains

Over the days that follow, we’re taken on a journey. That may sound obvious, but I mean more than merely getting from A to B – we travel through centuries of history and are transported into the lives and stories of the people who inhabited these lands in years gone by. Canyon Spirit glides along tracks that once formed the first transcontinental railway, which was completed in Utah in 1869; through dig sites where palaeontologists continue to unearth the fossilised remains of dinosaurs that once roamed Moab’s deserts; and past the ghost town of Cisco in Utah, which was a sheep farming hub in its heyday, but is now home to fewer than five permanent residents.

Even on our third and final day on board, as we steam toward our terminus, Denver, having thundered across the state line into Colorado the day before, I’m transfixed by what I see on the other side of the glass. I’m fascinated, not just by how quickly steep mountain passes can morph into expansive glassy lakes, but also by the attention we receive along the way. For much of the journey, there are no other trains in sight, let alone any people, but whenever we pass through a town or next to a highway, there are bystanders leaning on their parked cars, just waiting to wave at Canyon Spirit as it rolls through. Mike and Olivia tell us this isn’t unusual – in fact, some avid train lovers will race between look-out spots to catch a glimpse of the iconic blue and gold carriages in as many locations on the route as possible. 

The arrival of Canyon Spirit in the US, and now Salt Lake City, is undeniably special – and no one knows that more so than local Coloradan Tristan Anderle. One of just five residents of the sleepy community of Tolland, Tristan and his family eagerly greeted Rocky Mountaineer when it debuted in the US four years ago, taking to their front garden with a ‘Welcome to Colorado’ banner. In the months that followed, Tristan would wave to the train every time it passed through, and the Anderle family’s warm support unknowingly became a fixture in the hosts’ onboard storytelling, prompting the team to throw a bag of goodies from the train in way of a thank you on the last day of its inaugural season. By now infatuated with Rocky Mountaineer, Tristan called the number written inside the bag to ask for a job and, two seasons later, found himself on board as a host, entertaining guests and telling stories of his own.

As Mike recounts this tale and I look out of the window to see the beaming faces of Tristan’s family, who still come out to wave whenever they can, the spark of excitement I felt on day one mellows into a warm, contented feeling. Canyon Spirit isn’t just a means of transport – it’s a whole experience, and one that leaves a lasting effect on the places it passes through and the people that are lucky enough to witness it. 

Sleeping and sightseeing

Transfers: Canyon Spirit isn’t a sleeper train and travels only during daylight hours. So, when it’s time to disembark each day, we’re ferried from the station to our lodgings for the night – a seamless process where there are no long check-in queues and luggage magically appears in our rooms after being left at the previous hotel.
 

Accommodation: It’s worth noting that built-up destinations such as Salt Lake City and Denver offer more in the way of high-end four and five-star hotels, while stays in the smaller towns of Moab and Glenwood Springs will likely be in slightly more basic lodgings.

Out and about: Before re-embarking, guests can get up close and personal with the landscapes seen from the train by choosing from Canyon Spirit’s range of add-on experiences. In Moab, we visit Arches National Park, a 119-square-mile expanse of sandstone rock formations formed over millennia, while our stop in Glenwood Springs provides an opportunity to soak in the geothermal hot springs the destination is known for. As our odyssey concludes in Denver, we head to Wynkoop Brewing Company to get a taste of the city’s famed brewing history and toast to the end of an incredible adventure. 

Book it: Canyon Spirit’s Rockies to the Red Rocks three-day itinerary from Salt Lake City to Denver in Premier Class starts from £2,579 per person, including four nights’ accommodation and five onboard meals. Add-on excursions are available for an extra cost.
canyonspirit.com