Early on a summer morning, a train of export coal bound for Prince Rupert, B.C. begins its ascent of Mullan Pass behind a pair of big CP GEs, with a four-pack of MRL SD70ACes tucked in two-thirds of the way back. Spread out in the distance is the city of Helena; this view makes it readily apparently how quickly one can move from urban to rural areas in Big Sky Country. This train would normally have been interchanged by BNSF to CP at Sweetgrass, MT, but was detoured far to the west via Spokane, Pasco, Vancouver, Seattle, the other Vancouver, and Kamloops as a result of the Montana Sub being designated for southbound-only traffic during the floods in North Dakota. (Thanks to Jason Cary for showing me this spot.)
