Mont Ripley Ski Trail Map - Layered Wood Wall Art
by Mountaincut
Michigan's oldest ski area and one of the snowiest mountains in the Midwest, now on your wall. Mountaincut's Mont Ripley Ski Trail Map is a layered wooden wall art piece featuring hand-traced ski trails expertly laser cut from premium birch and/or walnut plywood, a handcrafted tribute to the university-owned Keweenaw Peninsula gem that has been challenging skiers and riders since the 1930s.
The Keweenaw's Alpine Town Experience, Captured in Wood
Perched on the hillside above the Keweenaw Waterway in Hancock, Michigan, just minutes from the Michigan Technological University campus, Mont Ripley is a ski area steeped in history. Founded by Fred Pabst Jr. in the early 1900s as an informal ski hill for locals and mining college students, Ripley officially opened in 1934, making it the oldest ski area in the state of Michigan. Michigan Tech took ownership in 1944 and has operated it ever since, creating one of the few university-owned ski areas in the country. With 112 skiable acres, a 440-foot vertical drop, 24 trails, and 3 lifts including two double chairlifts and a T-bar, Mont Ripley packs a surprising amount of variety and challenge into its compact footprint. Situated on the Keweenaw Peninsula, which juts out into Lake Superior like no other landmass in the Midwest, the ski area is buried under an average of 275 inches of lake-effect snow each season, making it one of the snowiest ski destinations between the Rockies and the Appalachians. This handcrafted map captures every trail, every glade, every powder bowl, and the stunning scenic overlook of the Keweenaw Waterway in beautiful layered wood relief.
Every Trail, Every Glade, Every Memory
Mont Ripley's reputation for challenging terrain is well earned. The trail breakdown of 21% beginner, 29% intermediate, and 50% advanced and expert makes it one of the steepest ski areas in the Midwest. Double-black-diamond runs like Buddha Bowl and The Trestle deliver genuine pitch and technical challenge, while the mountain's six named glade runs weave through tight tree-lined corridors that come alive after a lake-effect dump. The groomed runs, thanks to all that natural snow, deliver velvety soft corduroy perfect for carving hero turns from top to bottom. For those just learning, a dedicated beginner area with its own surface lift provides a welcoming, low-pressure environment. The terrain park is the largest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, featuring over 30 elements including jumps, rails, boxes, and features that change throughout the season. Night skiing five nights a week under full illumination extends the fun well into the evening, and a four-lane tubing park rounds out the winter experience for families and non-skiers. Snowmaking supplements the generous natural snowfall, allowing the season to stretch from late November through early April.
Exceptional Craftsmanship, Made in the USA
All Mountaincut wooden trail maps are precision laser cut and etched, hand-stained, and finished in the United States using birch and/or walnut plywood. The two-layer construction creates a rich, dimensional look where the mountain's hillside, glades, and trails stand out in beautiful relief. Hanging hardware comes preinstalled, so your new trail map will be on display in minutes.
Because each piece is crafted from real wood, no two maps are exactly alike, with natural variations in the grain and stain giving every piece its own character, just like a lake-effect powder day above the Waterway.
The Perfect Gift for Mont Ripley Devotees
Whether you are a Michigan Tech alum who spent your college winters lapping the Husky Chair, a Keweenaw local who has been skiing Ripley since before the second chairlift went in, a park rat who grew up hitting features in the U.P.'s biggest terrain park, or a powder chaser who discovered the magic of lake-effect snow on the Keweenaw, this map is a lasting reminder of a ski area that is as unique as the peninsula it calls home. Mountaincut products are made to order and most items ship within 2 to 3 days. Larger sizes (30" and above) may take 5 to 8 days before shipping.
Available in multiple sizes. Michigan's oldest ski area, on your wall every day of the year.
