Lots of folks turned up for our Super Moon Snowshoe Hike on Wednesday night. Mother Nature provided us with clear skies and a picture perfect moon! Ninety-four hikers took part and everyone, young and old alike, enjoyed the view and the company;-)
Thank you to everyone who came out to join in the fun. Let’s do it again sometime! The next full moon is March 1st. Stay tuned…
Our winter enthusiasts wil be enthusiastically expressing their enthusiasm at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, January 31st at Ellenwood. WHY? Well…the January 31st supermoon will also be a blue moon and occur during a total lunar eclipse… and you don’t get to celebrate that every day… or night. Do you? We’ll meet up with folks at the Mood Road gate parking lot at 7 PM **if the weather permits. Dress for the cold. Bring your flashlight and wear your favourite footwear for snowy terrain. We have a few sets of snowshoes available at the cabin. There may be ice on the road down – so exercise CAUTION wherever you walk! Check back here for updates.
Happy New Year folks! Well, the wild weather has played havoc at Ellenwood (like everywhere else) since Christmas Day and the Park lost a few trees. The DNR has pulled the downed trees off to the side and the excavator, which has been on site, has been removed… we think. A few of our visitors and volunteer staff were out clearing debris from the trails with the hope that we might be able to run the groomer soon. However, there may still be hazards lurking beneath the snow. BE CAUTIOUS WHEN USING UNGROOMED PARK TRAILS! You ski and snowshoe at your own risk and not all hazards are visible as you cut your own tracks. The Friends of Ellenwood will be back at the cabin to loan equipment once we are sure that it’s safe to do so. The area at the Mood Road gate has been plowed several times so parking is available. Please be patient and stay tuned here for updates.
CAUTION TO ALL SKIERS: For anyone skiing down from the Mood Road gate… Be advised to use extra caution. A large tree is down across the road that is not visible until you are beyond the first bend! An update will be posted here when conditions change. Remember that you ski at your own risk, so be careful out there!
Hello everyone! The wind storm that blew through on Christmas Day left a great deal of debris on the walking paths around Ellenwood. The DNR will be able to tackle the BIG trees, but the branches and smaller stuff throughout the Park need to be picked up and tossed off the pathways so that we can get our groomer mobilized next week! The sooner the cleanup is done, the faster we can get out there skiing!!! If anyone is out for a walk, could you PLEASE take a few moments to help clear the downed branches? If all of us pitch in, it will take no time at all. Thank you in advance for lending a hand! 
It seems like a perfect time, with only 3 days to go, to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from all of us at FOEP.
The Friends of Ellenwood Park would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you, your family, friends and relations a very happy holiday season and may the New Year bring us all a little closer to achieving Peace on Earth and goodwill between us.
Believe it or not, the Winter Solstice has arrived!
Thursday, December 21st marks the ‘tipping point’ of winter when the hours of daylight start to increase. A few of our more ‘enthusiastic‘ members will be out at Ellenwood at 6:00 pm this evening to celebrate the return of the sun and we invite all other similarly-minded folk to join us around a fire. If the weather’s fair, it’ll be a bonfire down by the lake in front of the ski cabin. If the weather’s foul, it’ll be inside the ski cabin in front of the wood stove. Either way, dress for the weather, carry a flashlight with you and bring along your inner pagan;-) A shuttle will leave promptly at 6:00 pm from the Mood Road gate for those with mobility issues.
Is anyone out there as excited as we are to see the return of the snow? 
SUNDAY, November 12th, 2-4 pm … and the weather’s perfect!
…to join the Friends of Ellenwood Park for our final Campfire and Marshmallow Roast of the season. Park at the Mood Road gate and take a leisurely 15 minute walk along the main road down to the ski cabin. Your toasting sticks and marshmallows will be waiting! A volunteer will be at the main gate at 2:00 sharp to shuttle those with mobility issues down to the lake. 
For those of you out there who refuse (like us) to be put off by damp weather – the Friends of Ellenwood will be out at the Park this afternoon between 2:00 and 4:00. A warm welcome awaits you down by the ski cabin where we’ll have a fire roaring. Join us as we toast the fall with marshmallows ready to skewer. The walk down from the gate may be dreary, but the rewards are delicious! Hope to see you there;-)
The Friends of Ellenwood Park wish all of our friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are looking forward to seeing you this fall and hoping for some great ski and snowshoe conditions in the months ahead. Have you renewed your membership yet? Click on the Be A Friend tab to find out how or come to one of our Family Bonfires and we’ll have a Support Form handy. Our friends at Runner’s Attic offer a 15% discount for all our members! And “thank you” for joining us at our mid-month bonfires, too! A few of you have generously brought along hot dogs and s’mores to share. It’s been tons o’ fun watching moms and dads taking the kids for a spin on our trolley skis, as well! The rest of you should really come and see what you’re missing;-) It’s not too late!
