Burke Conditions

[Kleetus]

Was supposed to ski Jay Sunday 3/2 with @TheGreatAbyss but after seeing everything except the Bonnie on windhold plus the cold we audibled to Burke which was fully open (I mean it's basically just the Mid-Burke express anyways) and a little warmer. I Skiied it before but not in a decade since back when I lived in Boston.

After meeting in the parking lot at 9:30 we booted up at the iconic falling apart Mid-Burke lodge (how is it not condemned?). When ready to head out just before 10 and buy our tickets we saw the Mid-Burke express wasn't running. Further investigation with Ski Patrol revealed a mechanical breakdown. We hung out in the much nicer hotel day lodge for an hour when we saw it start spinning again. Bought our tickets and loaded around 11.

Mainly lapped the Dixieland, Caveman, and Throbulator glades with some mix of Sasquatch glades or Power line to get to them. East side skiied wonderfully with powdery soft woods. West side was crunchy with some meltage and sun exposure in glades like The Jungle and ungroomed runs like Rerun (definitely did not warrant a rerun). Groomed runs were excellent.

Sadly at 3 the mid-Burke express broke again...and there was no desire to get it fixed. @TheGreatAbyss tried to convince the BMA T bar lift attendant to let us ride up for a run but no luck. We did a lap on the Shelburne Express just for the hell of it but ended our day at 3:15 and headed to the also iconic Mid-Burke "dirt bar" as @TheGreatAbyss named it for a beer before heading out.

Great cold though short day. Was reminded of how great the woods were. Nothing has changed in the 10 years or so since I last skiied it. Especially not the Mid-Burke lodge ...

 

[riverc0il]

After meeting in the parking lot at 9:30 we booted up at the iconic falling apart Mid-Burke lodge (how is it not condemned?).

Is the condition really that bad now? It has been a few years since I have been there. I suspect the mid-Burke lodge is primarily maintained for BMA, as it keeps the racers in their own space.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Structurally I don't know, but I don't think it's been cleaned in years. We renamed it the dirt lodge.

 

[MarzNC]

Background info for the potential change for Burke. Of note is the idea that the Schaefer family would be in charge of operations. Sounds like Jon Schaefer is also investing money.

April 4, 2025

Ultimate Insiders: Graham Family Moves to Save Burke

Through no fault of its own, Burke Mountain Resort has paid a severe price – a nine-year lockdown in a federal receivership – for the crimes of its former owner.

www.northstarmonthly.com

" . . .
The Graham group calls itself Bear Den Partners, a reference to the pub at Mid Burke Lodge, where the partners met while developing their long-range plans. The group’s lead investor is listed as the Graham family, led by Ken Graham, who is the chairman and co-founder of Bear Den Partners. He is a successful entrepreneur who worked for his father’s companies before creating his own, Inverness Graham, a private investment firm in the Philadelphia area that says it manages an estimated $1 billion in assets.

Another of Bear Den’s co-founders and investors is Jon Schaefer and his family, owners of Berkshire East & Thunder Mountain Bike Park and Catamount Mountain Resort in the hills of western Massachusetts. He is listed as Bear Den’s operating partner and has extensive experience managing resorts with a 50-50 revenue split between summer and winter.

A third co-founder of Bear Den Partners is Willy Booker, who is in his eighth year as head of school at BMA and is described as the group’s race program partner and an investor.
. . ."

 

[MarzNC]

Details about Bear Den Partners:

https://skiliftblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bear-den-partners-llc.pdf

 

[Brownski]

That sounds like a good outcome. Hopefully the deal gets finalized

 

[MarzNC]

The deal was finalized in May 2025. Tom Day agreed to be the interim GM.

June 2, 2025

Burke Brings Tom Day Out of Retirement, Appoints Advisory Staff

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., June 2, 2025—The new owners of Burke Mountain have coaxed industry veteran Tom Day out of retirement to serve as interim general m

www.saminfo.com

\
" . . .
“We are so excited to have Tom rejoin the industry to do what he does best—take a wide view of our operational needs and help create resort-wide best practices, as well as continue to elevate the positive energy of the team,” said Schaefer.

Day started his career at Waterville Valley, N.H., as a lift operator, eventually becoming GM of the resort in 1997. He ran Waterville Valley until 2010. Since then, he has helped various ski areas in New England work through transitions to build new programs and execute visions for success. Most recently, Day spent five years at Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire. During his time there, skier visits increased by 29 percent, revenue grew 60 percent, and the resort executed $18 million in capital improvements without borrowing money.

Day said he was looking forward to getting to know the Burke Mountain team and getting started.

Previous GM Kevin Mack, who served in the role for the last 10 years, is now the vice president of transition services. In his new role, Mack will oversee all business services for the resort and on-mountain hotel, including human resources, accounting, and more.
. . ."