SAM Magazine—Bear Valley, Calif., Nov. 2, 2023—California Mountain Resorts Company (CMRC) has acquired Bear Valley. It’s the third acquisition in three years for the growing Golden State conglomerate, which is headed by CEO Karl Kapuscinski. CMRC, which has owned Mountain High since 1997, purchased California’s Dodge Ridge in 2021 and China Peak in 2022. 

“Restoring Bear Valley to its laudable past is a monumental endeavor,” said CMRC via press release. “Central to this mission are Bear Valley stalwarts like (resort GM) Tim Schimke, whose familial bonds with the mountain, combined with the forward-thinking leadership of others, form our operational cornerstone.” Schimke’s grandfather, Harry, was an original founder and developer of the resort.

Reps for CMRC said a variety of capital upgrades are on the agenda for Bear Valley, which has 1,680 skiable acres but lacks the continual vertical of some competitors and has limited snowmaking. Reported plans include the addition of a lift that will link runs on the ski area’s south side to its Bear Valley Village, an area currently without lift service. Additional upgrades to lifts, snowmaking, and grooming operations are planned. 

“The journey ahead is riddled with challenges, but I am optimistic, said CMRC president Tim Cohee. “With the dedication of our team and Tim's unparalleled leadership, we are poised to meet and surpass these challenges. Our goal remains steadfast: to revive and amplify the Bear Valley legacy for one and all.”

Located off Highway 4 in the Central Sierra Mountains, Bear Valley, founded in 1967, sits at about 7,000 feet, with 1,900 feet of vertical and 75 trails serviced by nine lifts including a six-person chair and a high-speed quad. 

It’s the northernmost of the four CMRC properties, about a two-hour drive from Dodge Ridge, offering both resorts the opportunity to draw from the San Francisco/Silicone Valley market about four hours away.

With the acquisition, Bear Valley will be added to CMRC’s Cali Pass, enabling passholders unlimited access to Dodge Ridge, China Peak, and Mountain High in addition to Bear Valley. 

Owned by Invision Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, CMRC said it will look to add more ski areas to its portfolio in the future. 

In a January 2023 interview with SAM, Kapuschinski and Cohee discussed their partnership and plans. Read the interview—and find a link to the related PodSAM podcast—here: https://www.saminfo.com/archives/2020-2029/2023/item/165372-news-and-views-january-2023#gamebreaker

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