I’ve been painting recently at Cascade Ponds in Banff. The ponds are nestled in the valley between the three mountains of Rundle, Girouard, and of course its namesake; Cascade. It is a pleasant day-use area with rambling ponds complete with pedestrian bridges and picnic sites. It is popular during the warmer months with picnickers, strollers, sun worshippers, cyclists, site seers and tourists. It is popular at all times with gophers, they have dug their holes all over the park, and can be seen either on sentry duty, standing on their back legs alert, or perched at the entrance to their hole, ready to disappear. If you stop in one place, say to paint a picture, their curiosity will get the better of them and they will scamper around you, I assume looking for food. The area has great views of the ponds, surrounded by forest and mountains.
Cascade ponds are the remnant of what was once a river that flowed from local summits such as Bonnet peak, draining into Lake Minnewanka and through Bankhead to the pond’s current location. The river was diverted through a canal to serve the Transalta hydro electric plant, which is visible from the Trans Canada Highway.
The park is located just off Highway 1 with ample parking and washrooms. During the winter months there are only a couple of porta-potties. There are walking trails from the area. You can walk up to Bankhead, or to Johnson Lake, or across the road for a short hike to Cascade Fall. The area is also conducive to biking, along the trails in the park, or as a jumping off spot for a longer bike ride. From a painter’s standpoint, the area has a number of small pedestrian bridges which are great to paint against all the reflections of the water.