Hidden Gems in Kananaskis - Wedge Pond

Today I want to share a photo with you of one of my favourite little spots in Kananaskis - Wedge Pond.

Wedge Pond, Kananaskis

This pond has been a favourite little spot in summer for a picnic and quick dip on a hot day but we'd never been here in winter until just the other day.  I was looking for someplace close to home where I could take my son for his first unassisted snowshoe trip.  No sled, no child carrier - just us and our snowshoes on a lovely 1 km path around the pond. 

Hiking around Wedge Pond

While we could have probably just snowshoed right on the pond in the deeper snow, our  friends didn't have snowshoes so we opted to follow the forest path around the pond.  It was a perfect packed down trail for a child's first real snowshoe hike.

Mastering snowshoeing

My son amazed and impressed me by finishing the loop and never taking off his snowshoes.  He even managed to run down a hill or two.   We've been practicing a lot and it hasn't taken long to master the basic stride with the snowshoes on, learning not to step on his other shoe, and figuring out how to pick himself up when he's fallen down - which still happens a lot!

Running down a little hill

Probably the best part of the day for the kids was the snow fort we found on the pond.  I knew as soon as I saw it that we'd be hanging out there for a while and playing.  We had no fixed agenda or schedule to be anywhere so it was nice to take our time, make this day all about the kids, and to just enjoy a day of outdoor fun.

Snow fort on Wedge Pond

Days like this are magic and it's nice to find little hidden gems so close to home.  It only takes an hour to reach Wedge Pond from the west end of Calgary.  It's also located near Kananaskis Village, so we could follow our outdoor adventure with a warm lunch inside the Delta Lodge.  If we'd have had more energy we could have done some skating or sledding afterward but we chose to just have lunch and visit the playground at the Village.

Sky light in the snow fort

To visit Wedge Pond yourself, take Hwy 40 to Kananaskis heading for Kananaskis Village and Nakiska Ski Resort.  Drive past the Village for maybe 10 minutes and you'll see the sign for Wedge Pond.  The pond is on the left hand side of the highway past Boundary Ranch and the Mount Kidd RV Park.

Happiness in Kananaskis