Natural Bridge, Yoho National Park

Today threatened to turn out as frustrating as yesterday but was saved in the afternoon. We woke late, at 8.30 having slept for more than 9 hours. By the time we were ready to leave the site it was 11.30. A member of staff at the visitors centre advised that, being Sunday, it would be impossible to find a parking space at Lake Louise so she suggested Emerald Lake (which was in the cards for yesterday) in Yoho National Park.

This meant retracing our steps westwards back towards Field. It also gave us the chance of stopping to view the Spiral Tunnels where the railway reduces the gradient by completing one full turn like at Ddualt on the Ffestiniog Railway. We did not see a train entering the tunnels which was a shame as often you can see the loco emerging from one portal before the rear of the train has entered the other.

Our first attempt at parking at Emerald Lake was unsuccessful so we called in at the Natural Bridge site which forms today's blip. Originally a waterfall the river enlarged fissures in the limestone so creating a natural bridge which diverted water from the falls.

Our second attempt to park at Emerald Lake was successful so we were able to walk all the way around this stunningly blue lake, a shot of which forms today's extra.

The blueness is as a result of blue light being reflected back from the tiny particles of rock flour suspended in the water. This flour is the smallest remnants of the work of ice, the finest particles which were, at one time, park of one of the mountains around here.

By 5.30pm the crowds had disappeared from Lake Louise so we were able to drive up to the lake. I asked Susan to close her eyes until we reached the lake, the open them to take in the full spectacle of the lake, Mount Victoria and the glacier and all the other towering peaks that envelop Lake Louise. I think she was suitably impressed. We'll be back there tomorrow all being well, so the Lake might be the blip of choice, or it might be an extra. Who knows!