TELLURIDE - Telluride Mountain Club celebrates its 25^th anniversary tonight at the Last Dollar Saloon, on main street and Pine, starting at 7 p.m.

Started by Telluride Ski Patroller Pete Ingalls and others as a ski safety and avalanche awareness group, the club has morphed into a voice for mountain- related recreational activities of all kinds.

In its quarter-of-a-century of activity, TMC has worked on everything from saving the Telluride Ski Area’s backcountry gates on the telluride ski area to creating permanent access to Bridal Veil Falls for ice-climbing, working with The Access Fund to preserve use of the Society Turn Climbing area and working with the Trust for Public Land to regain Wilson Peak access.

Most recently, the club has worked with the San Miguel County Open Space Commission on investigating the possibility of building a new trail up to Bridal Veil Falls from the parking area, so as to separate hikers from drivers on the road, and TMC boardmembers are working with Telluride Ski and Golf Co and with U.S. Forest Service officials to reopen the backcountry gates this ski season for legal access to public lands in Bear Creek, and we have re-opened the indoor climbing gym for adult winter use.

TMC T-shirts ($20) and memberships ($25) are on sale at the event (“It’s a bargain; maybe we should go up” in price, says TMC President Josh Borof), and season passes to the Climbing Wall at Telluride High School ($125, or $100 for non-members), open Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m.

The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Last Dollar (the Buck!), and Grand Funktier will play an acoustic set. Food is available next door, at Brown Dog. Donations to TMC will be happily accepted.