Blue Mountain Resort sold for $32 million to group that includes Camelback operator
Blue Mountain Resort has officially been sold, ushering in a new chapter for the longtime Carbon County ski destination that involves a familiar name who has led the operation for the last 15 years as well as a private equity-backed hospitality company.
Tuthill Corp. sold 33 parcels in Lower Towamensing Township to Denver-based BMR Resort LLC for nearly $31.9 million, according to a deed recorded July 13.
BMR Resort traces to KSL Capital Partners, a Denver private-equity firm that focuses on investments within hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL Capital is affiliated with KSL Resorts, which operates Camelback Resort in the Poconos and confirmed in May that it would manage Blue Mountain.
What wasn’t clear until the deed became public was whether KSL was taking an ownership interest in Blue Mountain.
A KSL Resorts spokesperson confirmed Monday that BMR Resort is the company formed to buy the land, buildings and assets of Tuthill Corp., the prior operator of Blue Mountain.
Blue Mountain President and CEO Barbara Green, who took over the resort in 2007 from her father, founder Ray Tuthill, “remains as an owner” of BMR Resort and continues as CEO.
Kathy Henderson, director of economic development for the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corp., said Green is “still heavily involved in the organization and the running of the mountain.”
In a statement in May, Green said the resort was excited to join KSL Resorts.
“I look forward to partnering with KSL to further enhance Blue Mountain Resort and welcome their resort expertise and five-star approach to guest experiences,” she said.
Blue Mountain has made its own investments over the years to become an all-season resort but had been searching for a capital investor to move forward with some of its larger plans.
Henderson and other local officials believe KSL will be able to invest the necessary funds to further transform Blue Mountain.
Some of Blue Mountain’s expansions in recent years include the opening of the year-round Slopeside Pub & Grill, as well as automated snowmaking investments and a larger terrain-based hill for those learning to ski or snowboard.
Some expansions, however, have remained elusive, such as a longtime plan to add lodging to Blue Mountain.
In 2016, the resort announced plans for Vista Lodge Residence Club, a “four-star condominium resort hotel” that would be connected to the event venue at the peak of the mountain.
In 2019, Green said Blue Mountain was searching for a capital investor for the Vista Lodge project.
It’s a different industry than it was when Ray Tuthill bought more than 322 acres in Carbon County in 1962. In 1977, he opened the then-named Little Gap Ski Area, offering four trails and two lifts in its first year of operation. Lift tickets were just $12.
Back then, there were around 40 ski areas in Pennsylvania and 735 nationwide, according to a Blue Mountain news release from 2017 in advance of its 40th anniversary Dec. 22, 2017. During the 2019-20 season, according to the National Ski Areas Association, there were 470 ski areas across 37 U.S. states, a number that has stabilized over the last couple of decades.
In Pennsylvania, there were 26 ski areas operating during the 2019-20 season, the association said. That trailed New York (51), Michigan (40), Wisconsin and Colorado (31 each), and California and New Hampshire (30 each).
Morning Call reporter Jon Harris can be reached at 484-280-2866 or at jon.harris@mcall.com.
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