Photo courtesy of Mont Ripley Ski Patrol Alumni of the Mont Ripley Ski Patrol gathered on the hill Saturday to celebrate the groups 90th anniversay.

RIPLEY — The 90-year anniversary of the Mont Ripley Ski Patrol was celebrated this past weekend, with several events taking place throughout Houghton and Michigan Technological University’s campus.

A campus tour, social gatherings downtown, a celebratory dinner and an alumni gathering on top of the ski hill were some of the events that nearly 50 Ski Patrol alumni from decades of involvement took place in.

Dan Dalquist joined the Ski Patrol in January 1971 and is the longest tenured member of the group. He is currently retired from his active patroller position but is still working as a professional ski instructor on the hill.

According to Dalquist, not long after the National Ski Patrol solidified itself as a an active skiing organization, the Mont Ripley Ski Patrol was created in 1936. “What we’re trying to do is celebrate 90 years of being a registered ski patrol,” Dalquist said.

Mont Ripley’s Ski Patrol has alumni all over the country. Dalquist says those who participated and were members of MTU-based ski patrol are scattered in Montana, California and all over the east coast. The alumni-focused 90-year celebration helped bring some of those people together again.

The Ski Patrol has provided rescue services and aid to Mont Ripley for 90 years. The hill has been a valuable part of Michigan Tech since the 1940s, providing education and leisure to the community.

Students at MTU can take Ski Patrol certification for college credit. Courses in the winter and subsequently in the fall for certification are offered.

“There’s maybe five or six the places in the country that do that,” Dalquist said. “Michigan Tech is one.”

To learn more about Mont Ripley Ski Patrol, visit their website at mrsp.students.mtu.edu.