Ruby 360 Lodge

Joe Royer used to look east from the two-lane road near Elko and see a mountain range rising out of the desert. A former Snowbird ski patroller who had worked avalanche control in the resort's first season, he figured there had to be some skiing out there. He settled in Lamoille and started Ruby Mountain Helicopter Skiing in 1977.

In 1984 a pastry chef named Francy, who had worked at Deer Valley and grew up in Upstate New York, came out on a ski trip with friends. Joe was her guide. The two bought the operation in 1986, and their son Michael was born in 1989. The family describes it as the oldest family-owned helicopter skiing operation in the country. For decades it ran from a number of different locations.

Construction on a permanent lodge began in June 2016, and the first winter guests arrived in January 2017. The 10,000-square-foot building stands at 7,000 feet at the base of Conrad Creek, a ten-minute drive from Lamoille, with panoramic views of the Ruby Mountains and Lamoille Valley. It has ten rooms, three king and seven double queen. Guests can use a hot tub, a sauna and fire pits. Two yurts are also available: Conrad Creek, in an aspen forest at the lodge's elevation, and Ruby High, at 9,700 feet on the ridge above, reached by a guided RZR ride.

Winter is still about guided backcountry skiing and snowboarding. After fifty years the Royers have added summer and fall, with one-day and three-day packages built around hiking to alpine lakes, RZR tours, boating and wakesurfing, trap shooting and live music. Francy's kitchen anchors the season. Thursday through Saturday dinners are capped at forty guests, beginning with cocktails and lawn games at five and plated service at seven.