MOUNT HAGGIN -- A sign outside the Soup Shack door says, "Welcome to the simple life."

Step inside. Warmth emanates from the wood stove, the buzz and hum of conversation rise and fall, and fragrant aromas of chicken soup and fresh-baked bread waft from the kitchen.

By mid-afternoon, just about every seat at the three tables is taken as friends and strangers sit elbow to elbow, with steaming bowls of soup in front of them.

Most have heard about the Soup Shack by word of mouth and many are repeat customers, catching up on news with the owners Keith and Jean Rankin.

"Hands down -- it's the soup and the pie," that bring Gwen Sensenig, of Helena, and her family back to the Mount Haggin ski trails each year.

"The reward of soup and pie at the end makes it all worthwhile," she said.

She also speaks highly of the Rankins' Sugar Loaf Cabins, which lie a short path from the Soup Shack and offer easy access to hours of skiing across the road at the ski trails.

The day's soup choices are tantalizing.

Will it be broccoli cheese, or chili, velvet chicken or chicken and wild rice? Mmmm...mmmm, so many choices, and alas -- so little room, if one is to dip into the desserts.

There's fudge pecan pie, apple or maybe it should be raspberry. But then there's also the warm, hot fudge pudding cake a la mode to consider.

While this reporter was enjoying a bowl of broccoli cheese soup, a steady stream of customers stomped in the door.

Tables filled and emptied at a moderate clip. There's time for short visits, but little opportunity for loitering as more hungry customers come in the door.

Some wear ski outfits, some are in snowmobile gear -- others are just out for a weekend drive and a soup stop.

Everyone appears relaxed and content. Along with hearty soup and delicious pie, Jean and Keith serve up a healthy dollop of hospitality.

As it nears evening, a few skiers still linger over their hot chocolates and apple ciders.

Keith and Jean finally wave to the last departing skier, shut the door, and turn off the "open" sign.

That day, they'd ladled every drop of soup from nine large pots they'd prepared and served 15 loaves of bread to their 105 hungry customers.

Quite a jump in business from the sole cup of coffee, Keith served opening day four years ago.

Keith, the soup chef, is self taught, learning from that famous cooking school -- the Dallas Fire Department.

Everyone at the fire department had to cook, he said, and so he learned.

Apparently, they must have been a demanding crew because he learned very well.

Jean's love is the desserts. She's also the one with the artistic eye, who creates the simple but charming atmosphere. And she's an admitted "junker," who snared the attractive antiques nestled in corners of the shack.

This year Keith and Jean plan to launch the rest of their dream. It seems that the Soup Shack and Sugar Loaf Cabins are merely the appetizer.

The real entrée is a lodge.

Keith, a skilled carpenter, will do much of the construction.

Once completed, (hopefully, by Christmas), the lodge will offer a larger dining area, a place for small business retreats, family reunions and weddings, plus a few additional rooms for overnight guests.

This will expand the overnight accommodations for Sugar Loaf Cabins.

Current lodgings are a duplex cabin, each side accommodating four, and a house, which comfortably handles a party of eight.

Once he's completed the lodge, Keith plans to add a large cabin that will take groups of 20.

"It's a lot of work," admits Keith, of the Soup Shack.

But it's proven a successful draw, attracting more and more customers and overnight guests.

Jean says the idea for the Soup Shack and cabins was in the back of her mind for a number of years.

"I had a desire to do a quality product at an affordable price," she said. "Most places are priced for out-of-state visitors.

"I wanted this to be a taste of home. We wanted to produce quality food that was affordable."

While she admits it's demanding, she quickly adds, "You show me what's decent quality that's not labor intensive."

"She keeps the people happy," said Keith, referring to Jean's gift for hospitality.

In the not-too-distant future, they want to hold musical gatherings, as well. Music provides much of their entertainment, since they live miles from town and off the grid. And their teenage daughter Janae is a gifted musician.

As they work toward their dream, Keith keeps the soup pots full and runs the business, while Jean keeps on the run.

When she's not baking at the Soup Shack, she's working as an ultrasound contractor, offering services to small hospitals in Southwest Montana and Salmon, Idaho.

Many days, the work is all consuming.

But for the Rankins, the work offers its rewards.

They love their spot of heaven, surrounded by the beauty of the Anaconda Range and the Pintler Wilderness.

"We're living our dream," said Keith.

And one really nice part about their dream is that others get to enjoy it.

Many appreciative messages fill their guestbook. But perhaps, Elliot, a child from Dublin, Ireland, said it best: "Elliot says it should be worldwide."