Mount Waterman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Waterman |
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 Mount Waterman
Location in California
Mount Waterman
Location in the United States
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| Location | Waterman Mountain San Gabriel Mountains Angeles National Forest |
| Nearest city | Pasadena, California |
| Coordinates | 34°20′59″N 117°55′43″W / 34.349722°N 117.928611°W |
| Vertical | 1,030 ft (310 m) |
| Top elevation | 8,030 ft (2,450 m) |
| Base elevation | 7,000 ft (2,100 m) |
| Skiable area | 150 acres (61 ha) |
| Runs | 27 total 20% beginner 20% intermediate 60% advanced |
| Lift system | 3 chairlifts |
| Snowfall | 180 in (460 cm) |
| Snowmaking | No |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | www.mtwaterman.org/ |
Mount Waterman is a fun place to ski in the San Gabriel Mountains of California. It's located in the Angeles National Forest, not too far from Los Angeles County. This ski area sits on Waterman Mountain and reaches a height of 8,030 ft (2,450 m). That's pretty high!
Mount Waterman has a total vertical drop of 1,030 ft (310 m). It offers different slopes for all skill levels: 20% for beginners, 20% for intermediate skiers, and 60% for advanced skiers. It's a great spot for a winter adventure!
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The Story of Mount Waterman
Mount Waterman is a special ski area that many people in Southern California don't even know about. It's a bit of a hidden gem!
The mountain itself is named after Robert B. Waterman, who was a mountain man and a ranger. In 1889, Robert, his wife Liz, and their friend Perry Switzer went on a three-week hike. Liz Waterman was believed to be the first non-Indigenous woman to cross the San Gabriel Mountains. She even placed a pile of stones, called a cairn, on the mountain's top and named it "Lady Waterman's Peak." Over time, the "Lady" part was dropped, and it became known as Mount Waterman.
How Skiing Started Here
Skiing at Mount Waterman began thanks to the Newcomb family. In 1939, Lynn Newcomb, Sr., along with his half-brother William and his sons Renfro and Lynn Jr., built the very first rope tow in the area.
Then, on January 1, 1941, they opened what they say was California's second-ever chairlift! It had a bit of a bumpy start, as riders had to jump off when it broke down on opening day. But the ski area kept going strong!
After his father passed away, Lynn Newcomb, Jr. took over running Mount Waterman. Over the years, new chairlifts were added. In 1968, they got a second chairlift, and in 1972, the original single chair was replaced. A third chairlift was added in 1981. Lynn Jr. managed the ski area for many years, making it a beloved spot for skiers.
New Owners and Challenges
In 1999, Lynn Newcomb Jr. sold Mount Waterman to a group of businessmen who formed Angeles Crest Resorts (ACR). They also operated a nearby ski area called Snowcrest. Sadly, Snowcrest closed permanently after a fire in 2001.
Mount Waterman faced its own challenges. It was closed for several years because it needed to meet certain rules from the U.S. Forest Service. The ski area relies on natural snow, and it doesn't have machines to make snow. So, in years with little snowfall, it couldn't open. Also, the mountain has great areas for beginners and experts, but fewer options for intermediate skiers.
In 2005, one of the owners, Barry R. Stubblefield, had a skiing accident at Waterman and passed away. This was a very sad time for the ski area.
Big Snow and Reopening
The winter of 2004-2005 brought a huge amount of snow to Southern California. Mount Waterman was covered in several feet of snow, but it couldn't open to the public that season. People who loved the mountain still remember hiking up the closed roads to see the buried lodge.
In 2006, Richard (Rick) Metcalf, a longtime skier at Waterman, bought the ski area. He worked hard to get it ready to reopen. After a very dry year in 2006-2007, Mount Waterman finally reopened on February 16, 2008! Over 200 skiers came to celebrate. It was a big moment for the mountain.
The ski area continued to operate on weekends for a few weeks that season. In the 2008-2009 season, all three lifts were running, and the lodge was reopened, making the experience even better for visitors.
The Station Fire and Road Closures
In 2009, a huge wildfire called the Station Fire (2009) threatened the area. Todd Brugger, the caretaker at Mount Waterman, bravely used a bulldozer to create a firebreak, which helped protect the ski area from the flames.
However, the fire caused the main road, the Angeles Crest Highway, to close for a long time. This meant it was very hard for people to get to Mount Waterman for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 ski seasons. Even when there was enough snow, the road was often closed. Sometimes, skiers had to use a longer, alternate route through Big Tujunga Canyon.
Years of Drought and Closures
After the Angeles Crest Highway reopened in 2011, Mount Waterman faced another big challenge: a long period of very little snow. For several seasons in a row (2011-2015), there wasn't enough natural snowfall for the ski area to open. This was the longest closure in its history.
The ski area did manage to open for short periods in 2016 and 2017. But then came another very dry year in 2017-2018, and Mount Waterman couldn't open at all.
In 2019, it opened for a few weekends, even with some road damage. The 2019-2020 season also saw some openings, but then the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to close early.
The Bobcat Fire in 2020 caused more problems, damaging phone lines and keeping the highway closed. Mount Waterman remained closed for several more seasons due to road issues, lack of staff, and not enough snow.
A Recent Reopening
After being closed for over four years, Mount Waterman finally reopened on March 16, 2024! It operated for two weekends, and then on a limited schedule for a few more days in April. However, they faced challenges with not having enough employees and mechanical problems with one of the chairlifts.
Sadly, the 2024-2025 season was another very dry one, and Mount Waterman did not open. This was the tenth time in the last nineteen seasons that the ski area couldn't open.
Ski Area Features
Mount Waterman has a few important buildings and features. At the bottom, there's a ticket booth, a warming hut where you can get cozy, and restrooms. There used to be a ski rental service, but it's not active right now. There's also a ski patrol for first aid and even a heliport halfway up the mountain.
Near the top, there's a large reservoir that was meant for a future snowmaking system, but Mount Waterman still doesn't have snowmaking equipment. At the very top, there's a flat area with big rocks.
The ski area has three double chairlifts to take skiers up the mountain. While there are steep trails on the sides of the mountain for expert backcountry skiers, it's not recommended to ski there because those areas are not patrolled for safety.
Changes for Mount Waterman
In 2024, there were plans for Mount Waterman to be sold to a new group of investors called Angeles Mountain Partners LLC. They had exciting ideas, like adding snowmaking for the first time, upgrading the chairlifts, and even building "glamping cabins" and summer bike trails. They planned to sell special memberships to help fund these changes.
However, these plans needed approval from the U.S. Forest Service, and there were concerns about making a public area too private. As of August 2025, it seems the sale might not have gone through, and the future of these plans is uncertain.
In January 2025, the owner, Richard (Rick) Metcalf, sadly passed away in an accident. This happened almost exactly 20 years after a previous owner, Barry Stubblefield, also passed away in an accident related to the mountain.
See also
