On Sunday we wound our way through Rogers Pass in the Canadian Rockies making a short stop at noon near the Spiral Tunnels.

Deep beneath the mountains pictured above are tunnels which spiral in a wide route up and down the rapid changes in elevation.

Railroad tracks guide freight trains through these tunnels allowing for easier navigation of the steep grades than what was possible before these spirals were completed in 1909. Prior to that project being completed there were many trainwrecks.

Today, more than a century later, the “trainwrecks” are mostly caused by governments and special interests holding up transportation projects, such as pipelines.