Mont Ripley is the school-owned area of Michigan Technological University. It stands on an escarpment across the River from the campus on the Hancock (north) side, a propitious location if you wish to avoid snow-melting sun. The location gives skiing students a great view of the buildings on campus where the classes they are cutting are being held and gives students on campus a great view of the slopes they could be skiing if they didn’t have to attend those pesky classes or study so much. Hancock brags about their rating from The Weather Channel as the 3rd snowiest city in America.
Mont Ripley in 2010 claimed to be the oldest ski area in Michigan, having been founded 75 years before in 1935. The school says their ski patrol was formed in 1938, the same year as the National Ski Patrol System itself. (You may have to click the More Articles link at the bottom of the page a few times to get to page24.)
On Jan. 4, 1968, The Cass City Chronicle printed the “AAA Michigan Guide to 1968 Winter Sports Fun.” It listed Mont Ripley, in Houghton-Hancock as having slopes up to 2000′ long, 1 T-Bar and rope tows.
The Midwest Ski Areas Association reports that Mont Ripley currently has 24 slopes and trails, the longest at 0.2 mi., a 420′ vertical drop, 2 double chairs and a surface lift, ski school, night skiing, half-pipe and terrain park.
