It may surprise some, but Nevada is the most mountainous state in the U.S. when measured by named mountain ranges. More than 300 named ranges run through the state as part of the Great Basin complex. Nevada’s mountains offer stunning natural beauty and serve as important recreational areas for skiing, hiking, backpacking, fishing, mountaineering, and wildlife observation.

The most dramatic range in the state is the Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada, located halfway between Salt Lake City and Reno. The range is often referred to as the “Swiss Alps of Nevada” due to its sharp peaks, stunning alpine scenery, glacial lakes, diverse ecosystems, and rugged beauty. The range is 90 miles long and 10-12 miles wide, with 50 peaks over 10,000 feet and another 14 peaks over 11,000 feet. It also is home to the Terminal Cancer Couloir, which is one of the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America. With a high desert climate and a northwest flow weather pattern, the mountains average over 300 inches of light, dry powder a year.

It is in these mountains where a new ski resort is being planned and it leaves some people thinking: “It’s about time.” The mountain range is already home to Ruby Mountain Heli, a premier heliskiing, cat skiing, and lodging destination with world-class staff and a remote feel. What the mountains lack is a more accessible ski resort so more people can experience the magic of the Rubies.

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Peter Christodoulo is the landowner who wants to finally bring a ski resort to these mountains. Originally from Boston, he grew up skiing all over New England and now works in the technology industry in San Francisco. About a year ago he purchased property that covers nearly 2,300 acres that stretch up the Ruby Mountains starting from around 6,100 feet in elevation and going to about 9,400 feet. He is currently working with the forest service to get a land swap, easement, or lease to get the land to the top of the mountain at 10,350 feet.

The plan is to put in at least three lifts to access the bowls and upper mountain. “The Rubies are an amazing mountain range,” Christodoulo said. “You can put them in the same conversation as the Tetons and the Wasatch. We get 300 inches of snow a year of high desert, Utah style snow and right now the only thing you can do is heli ski or drive up an unplowed road to do backcountry. It’s pure north facing too and it’s on the west side of the range, so it gets the most orographic lift. This is world-class ski terrain.”

Mitch Shanks works for Modern Land & Development, LLC, a local engineering and development firm who has been collaborating with Christodoulo to make the ski area a reality. He grew up cross-country skiing and splitboarding in the Rubies. Shanks agrees with Christodoulo when it comes to describing the Rubies. “The Ruby Mountains are awesome, and the world deserves to see that,” Shanks said. “We do have a tiny hill on the northside of Elko called Snowbowl. It’s a nice shaped bowl for skiing, but it’s like 800 vertical feet with a single two-seater, non-detachable, old school, extremely slow lift. For what the Rubies are on the other side of town it’s a big disappointment.”

The prospective land is about 20 minutes from the town of Elko, with a population of 20,756 as of the 2022 census, and is the gold mining capital of North America. So far this year, 82% of the gold mined in North America has been mined here. A ski resort in the area would be an exciting and logical way to diversify the local economy. “What’s really interesting is when you drive into Elko, there is a sign that says ‘Elko, Nevada, gateway to the Ruby Mountains,'” Christodoulo said. “Except there is no ski resort. Elko and Spring Creek residents drive to Utah to go skiing and they have amazing mountains and terrain right in front of their noses.”

The work being done on the property is primarily exploratory right now. Navigating the terrain takes a large amount of bushwacking, so accessibility routes are currently being built to allow better access to the terrain to explore, plan lifts, and gather intel. “The goal would be to get something in next summer,” Shanks said. “I don’t know If we can pull that off or not, but that’s what we’re trying for. Even if it’s just a couple fixed grip lifts or something just to get us going. This winter we will go up a bunch on snowcats, snow machines, and skinning in to get to know the runs and how to plan some lifts.”

Currently, Christodoulo is trying to rezone the land from Open Space to Agricultural Recreation. Based on surveys that have been done, there is a small minority of people in the area who oppose the project, saying they don’t want their views distorted. However, the property is located on private land three miles from the nearest house and even the closest residents can barely see it, so there is no real risk of anyone’s views being damaged. “There is a vocal, but very tiny minority of people who are against this, but I believe that 95% of people think this is awesome,” Christodoulo said. To help with the cause, a petition of support for the rezone has been created. Anyone who supports the idea of a ski resort in the Ruby Mountains is encouraged to sign it on OpenPetition.

“There should be a ski area here,” Shanks declared. “Forget who owns the land and economics and money, and all that stuff. Doesn’t this area deserve a ski resort? And doesn’t this mountain range deserve something beyond Ruby Mountain Heli Ski which only hosts like 150 people a year? Imagine the Wasatch not having a ski resort.”

Although Christodoulo plans to have some form of skiing on the property, no matter what happens with the zone change, getting it changed would provide a greater degree of freedom on how to develop the land and ensure the public would have access to it. “If we do get the Agriculture Recreation designation then we can bring in real capital partners and building something more substantial becomes in play. I could bring in some proper real estate investors and we could have more institutional capital to build something much more comparable to some of the best resorts out West.”  

Christodoulo doesn’t want to back down from doing the dirty work for the project, either. “I drove from San Francisco to Elko last weekend and I camped on the land alone for two nights,” Christodoulo said. “I climbed over 5,000 vertical feet in the two days. There’s a little bit of a caricature that I’m some sort of city slicker from California that rolls into town with deep pockets, but I bushwacked on the property for nine hours and loved every second of it and came home with mud all over me.”

Further in the future there is potential that the resort could offer summer activities as well. Mountain biking, hiking, via ferrata, and zip lining are all a possibility. For now, though, the focus is on finally making a ski area in the Rubies a reality. The long-awaited development is a welcome and overdue addition to both the skiing community and the local economy. The Rubies have long been a hidden gem for backcountry enthusiasts and a formal ski resort will not only provide more accessible recreation for skiers of all levels but also benefit the area by creating jobs and boosting tourism. This project has the potential to transform the Ruby Mountains into the premier winter destination that it has always deserved, enriching both visitors and residents alike.

Sign the petition to show your support for a ski resort in the Ruby Mountains.

Additional Photos

Photos taken April 13, 2024, with still plenty of snow on the ground