Reed Hastings, the billionaire co-founder of Netflix, is wagering that he can persuade 650 homeowners to join him in living a rugged-yet-refined lifestyle at roughly 9,000 feet in northern Utah. 

Hastings bought a controlling interest in Powder Mountain, a ski area with about 8,000 skiable acres, 18 months ago. He’s aiming to turn around the area’s fortunes with the allure of a private ski club, where the key to membership is owning property. 

The vision for Powder Haven caters to a high-end outdoors subculture that is perhaps best described as backcountry lite. They revel in the challenge of outdoor pursuits, but want inconspicuous creature comforts like designer wood-burning stoves and heated bathrooms floors. And they are willing to pay for a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Plans are under way to break ground this summer on a 55,000-square-foot private lodge to replace the yurt-style one. A contemporary structure with a nod to Swiss chalet architecture, it will have a spa, gym, pool, pickleball courts, kids adventure center, ski valet, private dining space and a restaurant. A new neighborhood with 39 ski-in/ski-out lots is fully reserved; More private ski lifts are coming, too. 

Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal here