Two Massachusetts ski resorts are joining Bear Den Partners, an independent ski company that last year acquired Vermont’s Burke Mountain and last month acquired Smuggler’s Notch Resort.
In a press release today, officials with Bear Den Partners announced that Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont, Massachusetts, and Catamount Mountain Resort on the New York-Massachusetts border are joining the company.
Founded in 2025, Bear Den Partners is led by lifelong Vermont skier and investment professional Ken Graham, Chairman of Bear Den Partners, and ski industry veteran Jon Schaefer, who serves as CEO. In 2025, Bear Den acquired Burke Mountain in Vermont, where the Graham family have been skiers and community members for over 50 years. The Schaefer family has owned and operated Berkshire East since 1976 and Catamount Mountain Resort since 2018.
Berkshire East and Catamount will reportedly continue to operate under their existing leadership structure.
The resorts will operate under the Bear Den Mountain Alliance, a network of independent mountains that share resources, operational expertise, and long-term capital while maintaining local leadership, unique identities, and guest experiences.
“This step represents an evolution for my family, not an exit,” explained Bear Den Partners CEO Jon Schaefer. “This merger is about securing the future of two great, independent mountains by building an enduring structure that allows them to thrive for generations to come. Our family remains deeply invested in both resorts and in Bear Den Partners as a founding partner.”
