Smugglers’ Notch and Burke Mountain Just Announced a Game-Changing Partnership for Vermont Skiers In the ever-changing ski world, where mega passes have taken over and remaining independent as a resort is increasingly challenging, Smugglers Notch and Burke Mountain in Vermont have united to stay afloat. The investment group, Bear Den Partners, purchased Burke in 2025 and, as of February 2026, is running Smugglers Notch in collaboration with the long-running family owners. Related: The […] Industry News Zach Suffish | March 27, 2026 0 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition, 2026: A Nail-Biting Round 1 to Start Round 1 of SnowBrains’ 2026 March Madness Ski Resort Edition saw 32 matchups featuring some of the best ski resorts from across North America. In Round 1 alone, over 65,000 votes were cast by SnowBrains followers across social media platforms to help decide what the best ski resort in North America is. Related: March Madness Ski Resort Edition 2026: Vote […] Featured Article SnowBrains | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition 2026: Vote on the Best Ski Resort in North America Just when you thought the ski season was about to wind down, the biggest ski resort showdown begins. In honor of one of the best tournaments ever created, SnowBrains’ March Madness Ski Resort Edition sets out to crown the overall best ski resort in North America, voted by the people. Last year marked the first edition of the tournament, featuring […] Featured Article SnowBrains | March 15, 2026 2 Comments
SnowBrains Forecast: 5-10 Inches of Snow This Weekend and Beyond at Smugglers’ Notch, VT This forecast is brought to you by Smugglers’ Notch. A compact Friday night through Saturday storm brings Smugglers’ Notch a useful refresh, then the forecast flips toward wind and sharp temperature swings before colder weather settles back in next week. Confidence is highest from Friday afternoon through early Sunday, March 13-15, when timing and snow levels are most consistent. Expect […] Weather WeatherBrains | March 13, 2026 0 Comments
Burlington, VT, Sees Snowiest Winter Since 2004 Vermont has had quite the snow season, from the mountains down to the cities. Burlington just reached a whopping 73 days with snow on the ground, the longest stretch since 2004. Burlington is reporting 71 inches as of February 24, which would be average snowfall for the entire winter, and they still have over a month left of the snow […] Industry News Luke W. Smith | March 2, 2026 0 Comments
Smugglers’ Notch Resort, VT, Purchased by Bear Den Partners Smugglers’ Notch Resort in northern Vermont has officially joined the Bear Den Partners portfolio, marking a significant ownership transition for one of the East Coast’s most established family ski destinations. In a message to guests and passholders, Bear Den Partners CEO Jon Schaefer confirmed the move, emphasizing that Smuggs will remain independently operated while gaining behind-the-scenes operational support and investment […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | February 11, 2026 0 Comments
SnowBrains Podcast Ep. 97 | Vasu Sojitra – Pro Skier, Filmmaker, & Activist Vasu Sojitra is one of the most influential skiers in the world, a professional skier, filmmaker, and activist. He lost his leg to cancer at just 9 months old, long before he ever clipped into skis. What he’s done since has redefined what’s possible in the mountains. Vasu is known for his big mountain skiing, backcountry expeditions, and powerful storytelling, […] Featured Video Podcast | December 30, 2025 0 Comments
Top 9 Snowiest Resorts in the Eastern United States While Western ski resorts may dominate the headlines, some of the snowiest slopes in the East are legendary in their own right, offering reliable powder and winter experiences that draw enthusiasts season after season. These high-snowfall resorts, nestled in states like Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire, deliver heavy snow totals despite the East Coast’s unpredictable weather. Here’s a look […] Brains SnowBrains | November 10, 2025 9 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition: Vote on Who Will Be Crowned Champion in the Sweet 16 Last week saw the launch of the SnowBrains March Madness Ski Resort Tournament where we asked our followers to vote on what they deem to be the best ski resort in North America. Over 30,000 votes were cast in the first round, and as of today, we move on to the Sweet 16. Out of 32 of North America’s most well-known […] SnowBrains | March 31, 2025 0 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition: Vote on Who Will Be Crowned Champion as Best Ski Resort in North America While March may be the most exciting time of year for basketball fans, the month typically sees skiing wind down to a close—until now. To honor the most intense sports tournament on the continent, SnowBrains decided to host a March Madness of its own to find out which ski resort its following would crown champion as the Best Ski Resort […] SnowBrains | March 25, 2025 0 Comments
Smugglers’ Notch, VT, Report: Light Powder—is This Vermont? Report from Friday, January 10, 2025 We arrived at Smugglers’ Notch (or “Smuggs,” as the locals call it) in the early afternoon. The drive was easy, and we found parking conveniently in the front of Lot Three, just a short walk to the Madonna & Sterling Base Lodge. The resort spans three mountains: Morse, Madonna, and Sterling. We began our […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | January 13, 2025 0 Comments
Connecting Gondola Plan for Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort, VT, Has Been Put on Ice Following opposition from the Barre District Stewardship Team within the Agency of Natural Resources, the controversial plans for a gondola-style connector between Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort, VT, have been put on ice. The two resorts have also withdrawn their request for the Agency’s support for the project. Smugglers’ Notch is an independently owned mountain, while Stowe is […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 4, 2023 0 Comments
Talks Begin For Connector Lift Between Smugglers Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort, VT Smugglers Notch Resort is an independently owned mountain located north of Vail-owned Stowe Mountain Resort. A path on the top of Sterling Mountain spans approximately 2,600 feet and separates the top of the Sterling lift on Smugg’s side and the top of Sensation Quad on Stowes’ Spruce Peak. Off this walkable path are the ‘Birthday Bowls’ which have endless amounts […] Industry News Mark Kuligoski | July 10, 2023 0 Comments
Smugglers’ Notch, VT, Recognizes Vermont Volunteers With Free Winter Daycation Pass Simple Beginnings From its simple beginnings in 1956 with only two Poma lifts to today’s presentation with more than 78 trails and seven lifts including a resort village, things have changed quite a bit at Smugglers’ Notch. What hasn’t changed though is perhaps its focus. Family-Focused With A Community Commitment According to its website, “What makes Smugglers’ Notch a unique […] Industry News Ryan Kime | August 31, 2022 0 Comments
Vermont is Home to the Best Glades and Steep Skiing Classics on the East Coast Brought to you by The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing As a native New Englander, Vermont skiing has always been something special. Growing up, my dad and I would drive hours past our local resorts and head straight for Vermont. The trails were more challenging, the snow was deeper, and the trees seemed to grow the perfect distance apart. […] Featured Article Mike Lavery | January 19, 2022 6 Comments
Smuggler’s Notch, VT Conditions Report: Opening Weekend At Smuggs Report from opening weekend, 29 November 2019 The day after Thanksgiving was opening day at Smuggler’s Notch, and we braved the brisk temperatures to catch the stoke at our local and loved mountain. Located in Cambridge, Vermont, near the town of Jeffersonville, Smugg’s storied history of bootleggers, pirates, and rumrunners across the Canada-US border is just part of its endless […] Conditions Report Jacqui Davis | December 5, 2019 0 Comments
The Six Soldiers Injured in a Vermont Avalanche were Conducting a Safety Appraisal on the Slope The six US soldiers that were injured in an avalanche during a training exercise in Vermont were part of an advanced group conducting a safety appraisal of the slope and setting up a ropes course, Vermont National Guard officials said Friday. Two soldiers remained hospitalized Friday in good and fair conditions while they recover from injuries suffered in the Wednesday […] Avalanche SnowBrains | March 19, 2018 0 Comments
Anticipating Snowfall on the East Coast Snow has fallen and resorts are already opening. If you’re like me, you’re wondering what this year will bring to your local resort – will it be good or should you lose all hope of powder days and instead focus on the other aspects of your ordinarily ridged and pathetic existence. As it turns out, no one truly knows what […] Weather Helena Guglielmino | October 17, 2017 0 Comments
SKI Magazine Readers Name the Top Ski Resorts in the East On the back of yesterday’s post listing SKI Magazines ‘Top Resorts in the West’, today we have Part II, ‘The Top Resorts in the East’. How many have you skied, and do you agree? And how do these compare to the ‘Best in the West’? #10: Loon Mountain, New Hampshire #9: Okemo, Vermont #8: Stowe, Vermont #7: Sugarloaf, Maine #6: Mad […] Industry News Steven Agar | September 27, 2017 0 Comments
VIDEO: Smugglers’ Notch Snow Report | Blower Powder & Faceshots [arve url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au4nDKG5I8c"] Chris Wallner | March 16, 2017 0 Likes 1 Tweet 0 Comments
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