With $200 Million Scandal In Rear View Mirror, Vermont Ski Resort Reveals New Logo

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 5:39 PM ET

Another day, another rebrand. This time, though, the reception has been relatively warm.

Burke Mountain, a small, but mighty ski area in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, was purchased by Bear Den Partners back in May. As a result, they’ve replaced the mountain in their logo with the image of a bear.

“While it's a design change on the surface, it represents something deeper about who Burke is and where it's headed,” a statement from the team at Burke said. “The Bear is back (a huge part of Burke's history). Collectively, we're just getting started at Burke. What will stay is its dedication to being independent, local and authentic.”

While there is a new ownership group, the goal is to keep the heart and soul of Burke alive. The mountain was recently added to the Indy Pass for the 2025-2026 season, which means a whole new group of people will get the chance to fall in love with it.

“The look is new, but the promise is the same. Skiing and riding as it should be. Honest, unpolished, and real. Whether it's your first day or 50th season, you're home at Burke,” the statement said. “Collectively, we're just getting started at Burke. What will stay is its dedication to being independent, local and authentic.”

While many Vermont resorts have simply turned into playgrounds for skiers and riders from New York City and Boston, Burke has managed to maintain its role as a home mountain. So much so, that when I reached out to a friend to talk about the rebrand, he responded by telling me to keep it quiet.

“My cousin said he wants to keep the lift lines down at Burke, so don’t make the story too good,” he said.

Burke was unfortunately involved in a bit of a scandal back in the 2010s, when more than 120 people who invested in the redevelopment of the mountain were defrauded in a scandal orchestrated by Ariel Quiros, who owned both Jay Peak and Burke Mountain ski areas at the time, former Jay Peak CEO CEO Bill Stenger, and attorney William Kelly. All three of them were indicted on federal charges and later sentenced to prison.

121 people invested in Burke, with hopes that it would land them an EB-5 visa, which grants permanent residency or green cards through investing in businesses based in America. Part of the investment plan was to build a biotechnology plant and create jobs for a region that has adapted to other industries less quickly than others. Instead, Quiros and Stenger misused more than $200 million.

Each investor received $183,322 as a part of a settlement earlier this week.

This article first appeared on SNOWBOARDER and was syndicated with permission.

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