The Bear Den Partners Family is Growing
The Bear Den Partners Family is Growing
From Jon Schaefer, CEO Bear Den Partners
February 10, 2026
I am excited to share that Smugglers’ Notch Resort has officially joined the Bear Den Partners family.
This summer when the Burke snowmakers were knee deep in welding, when the hotel was frantically reorganizing, before there were new websites, or logos, or new software systems, and just after the chefs were whipping up new treats, we were invited by another northern Vermont family ownership group to consider a control investment in one of the most important resorts on the east coast: Smugglers’ Notch.
Smuggs owner Bill Stritzler has stewarded that mountain for nearly 30 years. With his family and phenomenal team there, they built it into a truly special, award-winning, year-round family resort. When the time came for him to transition to new ownership, he had two paths - corporate or independent. Bill chose Bear Den Partners, a group who he believed (and we live with every cell in our bodies) to be independent-minded operators, family-focused, and committed to high-quality outdoor experiences. His family will continue to have a stake in ownership and his daughter Lisa will stay on as an advisor to retain a Stritzler family voice in the future of the mountain.
From the first meeting, the alignment was strong, and here we are, welcoming the Smuggs family to our family.
What’s not changing is just as important:
Burke will continue to be Burke
Smuggs will continue to be Smuggs
Business As Usual
From where we sit, both resorts remain independent, each with its own personality, specialty, and on-mountain management teams.
Where there will be collaboration is mostly behind the scenes. By sharing certain resources - things like banking relationships and purchasing power (fuel, electricity, and other operational needs) - we believe that we can quickly operate more efficiently. These savings will be combined with our capital so that we can immediately invest in the guest experience at both mountains.
What does this mean for our Burke family? Having a major partner resort nearby will come with some benefits. Those will roll out soon enough. More importantly, our investment into Burke Mountain will not end and in fact, is only really beginning. More on that soon.
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. 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.
As a reminder, Burke already participates in reciprocity with Berkshire East and Catamount. Since my family owns those resorts, Burke, Berkshire East, and Catamount passholders currently enjoy the following benefits:
For Unlimited Season Passholders
- Two weekend or holiday lift tickets at each mountain
Unlimited midweek, non-holiday skiing at Berkshire East and Catamount
- 50% off additional weekend or holiday days
For Midweek Passholders
- Unlimited midweek, non-holiday skiing at Berkshire East and Catamount
In addition, for the rest of this season, Smuggs is offering a discounted vacation package for Burke, Berkshire East, and Catamount season passholders. You can find details at smuggs.com/deals.
For those interested in the broader picture, review the video news release Smugglers Notch produced about the ownership transition.
We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful to have you along for the ride.
Read more …The Bear Den Partners Family is Growing
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