Smuggs' First Winter Under New Owners Is Built for Early Season and Midweek

"Capacity is math, not wizardry." Jon Schaefer, CEO of Bear Den Partners, put that line in his September 8 letter announcing that Smugglers' Notch would join the Indy Pass. It also sums up what the new owners have committed to so far. Every change for 2026-27 is aimed at two things: more skiable days in the shoulder season and fuller chairs in the quiet middle of the week. Nothing announced so far is meant to change what a peak Saturday feels like at the Jeffersonville end of the Notch.

Most coverage has treated the Indy announcement as the headline. For anyone who skis Smuggs as a home mountain, the snowmaking line items and the reservation rule matter more.

Who Owns the Mountain Now

Bear Den Partners closed a majority-ownership deal for Smugglers' Notch on February 11, 2026. The seller, William "Bill" Stritzler, had owned and run the resort for 29 years. His family still holds an ownership stake, and his daughter Lisa Howe stays on as an adviser on the mountain's future. Neither side disclosed a purchase price, and Stritzler called the deal private.

Ken Graham chairs Bear Den. Schaefer's family owns and operates Berkshire East and Catamount Mountain Resort in western Massachusetts, and Bear Den bought Burke Mountain in 2025. Schaefer credited Community National Bank and a number of Vermont state agencies with helping the deal get done. The owners said future investment would be "targeted and collaborative," covering core infrastructure, guest experience, employee support and long-term stewardship. They also said employee jobs, payroll and benefits would carry over unchanged.

When WCAX covered the sale in February, Jackie Gamache of Huntington said she was open to the change as long as Smuggs kept its character and local feel. Kristina Marcussen of Essex said a new lift might be welcome, because she sometimes wondered whether the existing ones would keep running. Both concerns show up in the owners' first year of decisions.

The First Real Spending Goes Into Pipe and Guns, Not Chairlifts

On August 26, Bear Den announced the first capital project of its ownership, and it was snowmaking. The release names the work but not the cost:

• 80 new energy-efficient tower snow guns at key spots across the mountain
• 20 new mobile guns that need less air, for the critical early-season temperature windows
• 1,100 feet of replaced snowmaking pipe, with new and replacement valves
• A new water connection from Black Snake to Upper Rum Runner, so crews can make snow on both trails at the top of Sterling at once
• Pump and motor upgrades plus more backup equipment
• Targeted trail-edge clearing to win back usable trail width in some areas
• Nine more snowmobiles for snowmaking and mountain operations crews

The Sterling connection is the item most tied to the calendar. The release says it will speed up early-season openings. Mike McAdoo, the resort's vice president of mountain operations, described the goal this way: "When the temperatures are right, we want to be able to take full advantage of those windows."

Last winter shows why those windows matter. The 2025-26 season opened with 68 inches of snow in November and ended with 307 inches total over 135 days of lift operations. A November like that needs little help from snowmaking. The investment is for the Novembers that don't deliver.

Lifts come later. Schaefer wrote that "some lifts will eventually need to be replaced," and added that replacing infrastructure "does not automatically mean maximizing capacity." The ownership announcement points to a future master plan covering lifts, lodging and the base area. So far, nothing has been announced for this winter on lifts, lodges, dining or FunZone.

Indy Comes With a Reservation Requirement

From the outside, the Indy Pass looks like the change most likely to add crowds. The way it is set up points the other way.

Indy holders get two days at Smuggs and a third day at 25% off, with no blackout dates, according to WCAX. They must also reserve in advance, which lets the resort cap Indy visits based on demand. Schaefer's letter says Smuggs core season passholders "are always guaranteed access." His stated aim is to "fill empty chairs and midweek beds, not add more people to already-busy lift lines and peak weekends."

The letter also talks about the village. Schaefer wrote that he wants Indy visitors from places like Maine, Pennsylvania and Michigan to stay overnight in mountain lodging and to "eat in the village and around Jeffersonville." If the reservation cap works as described, the extra traffic should show up midweek, in the weeks when the resort has room.

Staff get a version of the same deal. Full-time seasonal and year-round employees can add the Indy Pass for $25, which Schaefer presents as a hiring and retention tool.

None of the Indy coverage in local news, from WCAX or the Stowe Reporter, quoted a town official, a Jeffersonville business or a Cambridge resident on the change. The first real test of how it plays locally will be the first busy midweek stretch.

What a Smuggs Pass Gets You This Year

The bigger change for passholders is reach. The 2026-27 Core Pass covers both Smuggs and Burke with no blackout dates. It also includes two days each at Berkshire East and Catamount, plus half-price days after that. Some core passholders also get three 50%-off buddy tickets at Smuggs or Burke and 25% off non-holiday lodging at either resort.

Here are the posted prices for passes bought by October 31. The resort says rates can change without notice.

The posted Bash Badge rates also require purchase by October 31, and all Bash products come off sale after December 1, 2026. The resort hasn't posted last season's prices next to these, so there is no published basis for saying this year's rates went up or down.

Vermont residents have another option, the Winter Daycation Pass, valid December 11, 2026 through April 2, 2027. The season-long pass costs $139 for adults and $99 for youth or seniors. With a 2026-27 winter season pass, the upgrade costs $99 and $69. Resident daily Daycation tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for youth or seniors, and Vermont's 6% sales tax applies.

The Calendar Between Now and the First Chair

The resort's planned opening day is November 27, 2026. The resort announced that date in its April 13 season wrap-up. Here are the dates before it and just after:

1. October 16 and 17. The Cambridge Area Rotary's 17th Annual Winter Sports Sale runs Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cambridge Community Center, 22 Old Main Street, Jeffersonville. Proceeds support Winter Wellness Days for Cambridge Elementary students.
2. October 24. Smuggs hosts its free Halloween Boo Bash at FunZone 2.0 from 3 to 7 p.m., with pumpkin and face painting, candy-bag decorating, a scavenger hunt and Halloween movies. El Gato Cantina is slated to serve refreshments.
3. October 31. Last day for the posted Core Pass and Bash Badge rates.
4. November 27. Planned start of the 2026-27 winter season. This will be the resort's 70th year of operation and its first full winter under Bear Den Partners.
5. December 1. Last day to buy the midweek pass, and the last day any Bash products are on sale.
6. December 11. The Vermont resident Winter Daycation period begins.

If you own a chalet or condo near the mountain, or have been considering one, a change in ownership at Smuggs is worth talking through with someone who has watched this corridor for more than 20 years. Jill Richardson is glad to sit down with you and go over how your property fits into this next chapter. Request a free consultation & home valuation whenever you're ready.