Burke Mountain, VT, Report: From Castaway to Part of an Independent Skiing Resurgence

Burke Lower Mid-Burke Express — The resort is only served by two chairlifts, but both are high-speed, making it quick to get around. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

Burke Mountain Conditions Report from February 13, 2026

Less than 48 hours before I got in my car to drive up to Burke Mountain for the first time, some of the biggest ski industry news out of the East Coast hit my email: Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vermont, was Purchased by Bear Den Partners. For those of you who don’t already know, Smugglers Notch is one of the biggest ski resorts on the East Coast, and is widely known to be a fiercely independent mountain. Family-owned and operated for the past several decades, there was talk for many years about what may happen to Smuggs, and more specifically, who would take over this cherished resort.

So when the news on Wednesday first came out that Bear Den Partners was acquiring a majority stake in the resort, I was surprised, yet delighted to hear the news. While Bear Den Partners may sound like an obscure name, they are the owners who recently acquired Burke, and whose CEO, Jon Schaefer, separately owns Berkshire East and Catamount, Massachusetts. In addition to skiing at Burke for the first time, I was now curious what the new ownership group had done halfway through its first season, and what the local perception was of the changes being made. I was thinking it could give us a glimpse into what the future of Smugglers Notch may hold as well.

Burke Mid-Burke Express Top — The trees at the top of the mountain looked almost like snow ghosts. It was beautiful. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

Quick Facts & History

Date Opened: 1956
Multi-Destination Passes: Indy Pass (new this year, Indy Ally before)
Number of Trails: 53
Skiable Acres: 178
Vertical Drop: 2,011′
Base Elevation: 1,256′
Summit Elevation: 3,267′
Average Annual Snowfall: 217″
Number of Lifts: 5
Night Skiing: No
Other Activities:
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Uphill Ski Touring
- Mountain Biking (summer)
- Camping (summer)

Burke East Bowl — East Bowl offers incredible sweeping vistas and happened to be groomed when I visited (which I was told was incredibly rare). | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

In the press release regarding the acquisition of Smugglers Notch, CEO of Bear Den Partners Jon Schaefer stated,

“What’s not changing is just as important: Burke will continue to be Burke. Smuggs will continue to be Smuggs. Business As Usual.”

But to be honest, business at Burke has been anything but usual this year.

From a ski resort stuck in receivership and debt, this small northern Vermont mountain has completely changed its trajectory in the past year. Last winter, I was riding up the chair with a local Burke couple at Jay Peak, and we conversed on some seemingly pessimistic yet, at the time, realistic futures for this mountain. This year, I rode the chair at Burke and heard nothing but positive things about where the mountain is headed and who is behind it.

Burke Sasquatch Glades — Squeezing between the tight trees in the Sasquatch Glades. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

From the moment I checked into the Burke Mountain Hotel at 1 a.m. the night before, the receptionist was boasting about the new snowmaking upgrades Bear Den Partners hastily put in starting in late May. The new owners have tripled snowmaking capacity for this season (although this season’s weather is proving that was not necessary).

Related: Burke Mountain, VT, New Owners Aim to Triple Snowmaking Capacity in Time for 2025–26 Ski Season

I rode up the lift with a local couple the next morning, who were thrilled at what has been going on, citing new ideas Bear Den Partners is considering, including the possible addition of a fixed-grip chairlift to help better serve intermediate terrain on the upper mountain.

I met another couple from Western Massachusetts, who were up at Burke for the first time, taking advantage of a reciprocal partnership it has with their local resort, Berkshire East, this season. The husband said, “Coming from Western Mass, I haven’t skied snow this good in the past decade. We aren’t used to this, but it is incredible.”

Burke Windmill — An eye-sore or a unique part of the mountain? I found it striking and cool to ski under a massive wind turbine. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

Under the ownership umbrella of Bear Den Partners, Burke is poised to bring in more reciprocal skiers and passholders alike, all while having better access to capital for improvements they would have never otherwise been able to independently afford.

Burke Warriors Way — No surprise there was a race going on the day I visited. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

For me, as an Indy Pass holder who skis frequently in Northern Vermont, I’ve had Burke on my radar for a long time, but I was frustrated that they were merely an Indy Pass ally for several years. Finally, they joined the Indy Pass (fully) this winter, which got me to pull the trigger and actually check this place out for the first time.

Burke Binney Lane — Headed down Binney Lane from the top of the Sherburne Express. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains

Skiers are passionate about their local mountains, and pretty much anywhere you go, even if the locals love the place, they have their own thoughts on how they would run things differently. That wasn’t the case at Burke, and while that may be because we are comparing to a somewhat dire situation a year ago, that is still a remarkable achievement and turnaround.