Bear Den Partners Purchases Smugglers' Notch
Last May, Bear Den Partners bought one of the most essential ski areas to northern Vermont. This week, the group ran it back, and bought another ski area.
Smugglers’ Notch, located just 41 miles from downtown Burlington, has been bought in what the ownership group called “a collaborative ownership transition.”
The ski area was owned and operated for the last 29 years by William Stritzle. His family will still have an ownership stake, and his daughter Lisa will serve as an advisor to the future of the mountain.
Bear Den’s CEO Jon Schaefer penned a letter published in Vermont Business this morning. In it, he says that the Stritzle family invited the ownership group in last summer to consider the purchase of Smuggs.
“Our investment into Burke Mountain will not end and in fact, is only really beginning…On the pass front, for the remainder of this winter, no major changes are planned. We will look at launching spring pricing and packages, and those items will launch soon,” Schaefer wrote. “Our teams have already begun to explore crossover and reciprocal programs, with our primary focus being on capacity management rather than unlimited access, ensuring you a consistent, high-quality skiing and riding experience at each resort.”
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Burke Mountain, a small, but mighty ski area in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, was purchased by Bear Den Partners in May 2025. Bear Den Partners also owns Catamount Resort on the New York/Massachusetts border, Berkshire East in Massachusetts, and Big Red Cats in Rossland, Birtish Columbia.
