Ski Review: Mont Ripley
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Mont Ripley is a classic UP community hill. It's not a resort, the lifts and equipment are bordering on vintage, and there are days when it's oversaturated with college kids an actual kids. But it holds a special place in our hearts. Our team has spent a ton of time on Ripley's runs, and for its perceived limitations, it offers a ton of value and a great time.
Overview
Mont Ripley is located in Hancock (technically Ripley), Michigan, on Copper Island, in the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and immediately borders the Portage Canal. It is owned by Michigan Technological University (located in Houghton, across the canal), and is essentially operated as a nonprofit community institution, popular among kids and families in the area in addition to college students. Notably, this area gets 150-250" of snow each year, reliably. Ripley grooms most of its runs, but leaves a few gladed areas and sidecountry with natural powder. Owing to its location along the canal (which acts as a giant west-east wind tunnel), Ripley is almost always at least a little icy or crusty, except on pure powder days.
Vertical: 440'
Runs: 24
Lifts: 3
Longest Run: 0.8 miles
Skiable Terrain: 112 acres
Read On The Snow's tech specs for the hill here for a little more detail.
Looking down Bonzai at Mont Ripley on a powder day.
My Thoughts
I've been skiing here since as long as I went to Michigan Tech (which was way too long for a bachelor's degree but about appropriate for a doctorate), and as with many Upper Peninsula ski hills, when you're visiting, toss the word "resort" right out of your lexicon. There's nothing here that isn't absolutely essential to running a ski hill, and that's a huge part of the charm. The chairlifts were definitely sourced from other hills that have long since upgraded, and the seats (particularly on the eastern Copper Chair lift) look like something out of a 1950s tourist ad for Vermont. I love it.
The parking situation is a little rough and one of the biggest drawbacks. You usually can't find parking at the lot on the north side of M-26 next to the chalet, but there are two overflow lots just across the highway. Playing frogger in ski boots is a great time. Once you get up to the hill, the chalet is bare bones: seating is a little limited, there are usually kids running around, the pro shop and bathrooms are downstairs, and you can't get a beer, but you're right in town, so it doesn't really matter. There is food and water available, which helps considerably.
Overall, Ripley has the feeling of a community-owned public ski hill. It's mainly night skiing during the week, which offers a cool view of the cities of Houghton and Hancock lit up across the canal. Almost the entire hill is lit as well. Compared to many community hills in the Midwest, the runs are reasonably short, but also pretty steep.
Mont Ripley's Copper Chair Lift on the east side of the hill.
Ripley has two chair lifts, the Copper Chair in the east and Husky Chair in the west, and a T-bar lift in the middle. In general, the west side is more open. This is where races are held, and there are a lot of options for lanes to carve, and a giant mogul field as well. Here you'll also find a decent-sized sidecountry area with good elevation and often knee to waist deep powder, which is a nice diversion from the rest of the hill.
In the middle, the T-bar brings you to the center bowl, a big funnel allowing you to cross back over to any lift, and the east side offers more gladed runs, and in general a variety of steeper and narrower runs. I hesitate to even call them trails, chutes is probably more appropriate. I think most more experienced skiers slightly prefer the east side. On the whole, runs are quick as you gain a lot of speed and there's not an enormous amount of elevation, but there's a variety of terrain, with two terrain parks, dedicated mogul and gladed runs, and a distinct sidecountry area.
Sitting at the top of Ripley.
Conclusion
It's not the biggest hill in the Yoop, definitely not the flashiest, but it offers some great views and great times, and it's right in town. The only drawbacks, in my opinion, are a less than ideal parking situation and the fact that they don't serve beer in the chalet.
Bottom line, if you're in the Keweenaw to ski Mount Bohemia or to snowmobile, or whatever other reason, and you have an afternoon or evening to kill, or happen to land there on a powder day, head over and kill a couple hours at Mont Ripley. You won't regret it. Follow it up with a pint by the fireplace at Keweenaw Brewing across the canal.
