Locals Approve First Ski Resort In Nevada's "Swiss Alps", but There's a Private Catch

A California businessman's proposal to expand his Nevada ranch into a private ski area has been approved by the Elko County Planning Commission.

Bay Area technology investment firm partner, Peter Christodoulo, is the current owner of Ruby Mountain Ranch, which sits just beyond Nevada's Ruby Mountains against the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

In 2024, Christodoulo failed to obtain the Commission's approval to rezone several thousand acres of his ranch's land to develop a public ski area. Roughly a year and a half later, Christodoulo's latest proposal for a private ski area has been approved.

Christodoulo reportedly hopes to build a resort with an "old-school Jackson Hole vibe," according to the Nevada Independent. Facilities will include a lodge with five guest rooms for rent, which will also provide meals, and five chairlifts.

The resort will be used primarily by Christodoulo's family and friends, and visitors will not be allowed to stay for more than 28 consecutive days. "Our family loves this generational property as well as the surrounding area, and this conditional use permit would give us better access to our very rugged and beautiful mountain terrain," wrote Christodoulo in the conditional use application.

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Christodoulo purchased nearly 3,000 acres of land in 2024. The land came in the form of two lots, a smaller, slower elevation parcel and a larger, upper parcel, and was listed at $3.94 million. The 900-acre lower parcel has been approved for rezoning under a Conditional Use Permit.

A meeting and subsequent planning commission vote on the issue took place on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Dozens of Elko County residents showed up and took sides on the proposal, and another four dozen submitted comments via writing. Opposition to the proposal centered on concerns about water use, environmental impact, and the potential to tarnish the landscape with ski lifts. The proposal claims to be "quite low impact and environmentally conscious compared with other potential uses for the site." 

Christodoulo did not attend the meeting but was represented by Mike and Mitch Shanks of Elko-based Modern Land and Development Construction LLC. 

The planning commission approved the proposal in a 5-2 vote, with a long list of conditions, including the removal of the chairlifts if they don't operate for five years. Commissioners Richard Genseal and Dena Hartley opposed the proposal and voted against it. "You must have an awful lot of friends," Hartley said about the resort's private guest capacity.

Mike Shanks cited that the community could benefit from an increased tax base and seasonal jobs. He also noted that if the community "came to" Christoduolo, he would consider making the resort public.

According to Christoduolo, roughly 1,200-1,500 acres of his land are suitable for skiing, a size similar to Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe. Christoduolo also claims his property has as much skiable vert as Palisades Tahoe. Plans for the resort built at Ruby Mountain Ranch have its first chairlift starting at 7,100 feet, where skiers can unload and board one of two other lifts. One of these lifts would also allow access to two additional lifts. All five chairlifts will be three-seater lifts, with no plans for a gondola.

Access to skiing in the Ruby Mountains is currently fairly limited. There have been past efforts to develop a ski resort; however, none have come to fruition. Roads in the area close due to snow in the winter, making the range only accessible by snowmobile or helicopter.

Ruby Mountain Heli offers heli-skiing in the area, but packages cost several thousand dollars. With 10 peaks above 10,000 feet and 300 annual inches of snow, it serves to be a prime ski destination, but for now, only if you're on the list of Christodoulo's close friends.

Elko Snowbowl, a small ski area in the Ruby Mountains operated by the town of Elko, offers $20 lift tickets just off I-80.