Why Beartooth Basin's Owners Are Selling

Vail and Alterra aren’t the only players in the great resort ownership reshuffling—last week, news broke that Beartooth Basin, a small, summer-only ski area in Wyoming near the Montana border, was up for sale after two decades under one ownership group.

Austin Hart, one of Beartooth’s several co-owners, says the decision to sell was made because he and the other owners were "looking for a change." Hart is joined in owning Beartooth by Justin Modroo, Kurt Hallock, David Leuschen, and two brothers, Dusty and Forrest Logan. Variations of this ownership group have run the ski area since 2002. Hart joined the team in 2010 when he took over his uncle's stake.

"There's a lot of potential at Beartooth Basin that, you know, we just haven't been able to, you know, maximize on because of limited resources," says Hart. "Because we're all busy."

Owning and operating Beartooth is a time-intensive seasonal gig. The owners manage other businesses and careers alongside their duties at the small ski area. When summer arrives, their focus turns to Beartooth, where they get their hands dirty to ensure things operate smoothly.

Hart runs Beartooth’s ski patrol team alongside managing hiring, employee retention, and payroll. While the owners rely on mechanics to ensure the snowcats and lifts remain operational, that doesn't preclude them from doing some maintenance work themselves.

"A lot of the owners are up there, like, seven days a week," says Hart, who found that the demands of running Beartooth were getting in the way of his life and career goals. "It's all-consuming when we're operating."

Hart grew up in Red Lodge, Montana, about a 30-minute drive from Beartooth. "I love the place. I learned to ski there," says Hart of Beartooth. "I'm a lifelong local to the area, so it means a lot to me."

Like countless other mom-and-pop ski areas throughout North America, Beartooth is beloved and known for its laid-back vibe and casual approach to the skiing experience. Instead of a ritzy base lodge, Beartooth operates out of several trailers that disappear when the summer skiing season concludes, leaving the ski area's two surface lifts alone during winter.

"At the end of the season, it's just an empty parking lot. You wouldn't even be able to tell that we run the lifts," says Hart. “We're a community ski hill, you know. We're not a, you know, mega ski corporation.”

Since Beartooth went up for sale last week, the owners have already received emails from possible buyers, but no deal has been signed. "There's a lot of interest out there," says Hart.

He noted that Beartooth doesn't have a set price yet and expects the sale process will take weeks, months, or longer. The ski area won't open this summer due to a lack of snow.

The owners intend to meet a buyer who is committed to staying involved with Red Lodge's ski community. If they don't find anyone right away, they plan to continue operating Beartooth during the interim.

"[Selling Beartooth] was a tough decision, but, you know, it's exciting as well to have the prospect of a new ownership group that could take it to new levels, new heights," says Hart.

He's sticking around the Red Lodge area, where he also co-owns Beartooth Mountain Guides, and wants the local hill to operate for seasons to come: "I hope in my later years, I can still drive by in June and see it running.

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