This was our second season visiting the Rustler Lodge, and we went not once, or twice, but three times because the mountain and the lodge offer a unique sanctuary where one can get away from it all, but, still be connected if they want to.

Your visit will start with seamless reservations, taken by Tauni or Kate, and when you arrive they will greet you with a smile, brief you on the lodge and amenities, and then turn you lose as the tension fades away. You will find the inclusive breakfast and dinner to be quite delicious and adaptable to most any needs. You will be greeted each meal by Teresa, Hadley or Kellie, with a genuine smile and care that makes you happy you arrived for your meal. Waiters like Dave & Paul will make sure that your order is just right and servers such as Jack and Bethany will deliver it to your table in good order. Hannah, Kim and John will keep you happy at the bar, and keep your glass as full as you like, with a smile, a good story and a discerning ear if needed. The spa is fantastic after an adventurous day on the mountain, and Amanda, Bobbi and Mariah are a must for the deep tissue massage. The hot tub bubbles and the views are to die for. Oh yes, and the Skiing, which is why your there, is really exceptional at Alta and Snowbird.

However, the most interesting aspect of the Rustler for us, is to meet the guests that have been coming for 25 plus years and the staff that have been around for 8-10 years and more because this is what makes the Rustler different and the place to be if you visit Alta. Each host, waiter, attendant you meet, will have a story…some are there simply for the skiing, others are there because the mountain and the backcountry own their soul, and, some are there because they really are simply dedicated to making your holiday the best it can be.

In the end, most of the stories of how one comes to the Rustler, why they visit, and why they stay will simply make you feel good and make you sorry to leave, but eager to return. We’ve already put our reservation request in for next year and can only hope we will be able to return again and again; because, when we there… there is no place we’d rather be.