Mount Waterman
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Mount Waterman is a ski area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains (Angeles National Forest) of Los Angeles County, California. It is located on State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway. It reaches a height of 8,030 feet and has an overall vertical drop of 1,030 feet. Mount Waterman is leased under a special use permit from the Forest Service.
Skiable terrain is distributed as: 20% beginner terrain, 20% intermediate, and 60% advanced.
Mount Waterman facilities include a ticket booth at the base (6,900'), warming hut , restrooms, ski school, ski patrol (first aid), ski rentals (though currently inactive[1]) and a heliport halfway up the mountain. Near the top there is a 5 million gallon, tadpole-filled reservoir for a future snowmaking system, and at the summit (8,036') there is a plateau with large boulders. Waterman has three double chairlifts to serve its ski runs. Mount Waterman currently has no snowmaking equipment.
There are steep backcountry ski trails on the east side of the mountain, though skiing these trails is not recommended since it is not patrolled. During heavy El Niño snowfall in 1998 the County Sheriff ticketed some backcountry skiers who entered these areas. Several skiers and snowboarders went missing and had to be rescued that year.
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[edit] History
Much land in the San Gabriel Mountains was leased from the US Forest Service in 1888 to master trailblazer and cabin builder Louis Newcomb.[2] The official name of the hill is Waterman Mountain. Robert B. Waterman was a pioneer mountain man and a ranger in the San Gabriel Forest Reserve. Waterman, together with his wife Liz and their friend Perry Switzer, completed a three week hike from La Cañada to the Antelope Valley and back again (May 1889). With this epic feat, Liz became the first white (non Indian) woman known to have crossed the San Gabriels. Along the way, she placed a cairn on this summit and it was thus christened Lady Waterman's Peak. However, then current attitudes toward the "weaker sex" didn't deem this a fitting name. The peak has subsequently been called by different variants, all of which leave out the "Lady". To his credit Robert Waterman made numerous futile efforts to have the full original name restored.
[edit] Humble Beginnings
Lynn Newcomb Sr. and his son Lynn Newcomb Jr. built the first rope tow at the area in 1939. Mount Waterman claims to have had the first chairlift in California, opened by the Newcombs on January 1, 1942. The chairlift broke down during the opening day and riders had to jump off, but the resort continued operations.
Lynn Newcomb Jr. took over the operation when his father passed on, and ran the ski area for all but a two-year period, when it was sold to two San Gabriel Valley businessmen in the 1990s. Those new owners returned the resort to Newcomb when their ambitious plans for snowmaking and other improvements at the ski area fell through.
[edit] The Angeles Crest Resorts (ACR) Years
Newcomb sold Mount Waterman to a group of Southern California businessmen,the main investors being: Barry R. Stubblefield of Valencia (owner of a lighting business that serves Hollywood[3]) & his brother Gregory R. Stubblefield of Pasadena( United Way benefactor[4] & regional president and chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car[5]), James "Jim" R. Newcomb of Valencia[6] and Charles "Chuck" W. Ojala (also residing in Valencia[7]). Together they formed Angeles Crest Resorts(ACR) and operated Mount Waterman and neighboring Snowcrest ski area beginning in 1999.
It has been noted by a former employee of ACR and another of the Forest Service that the owners of ACR chose to take a dive (lose money) on Mt. Waterman for a tax write-off for their other successful investments. It has also been reported that one had to be in the owners clique to be able to ski, also that the lifts have turned into a "private resort" for the ski patrol who abuse their privilege and access.[8]
The resort did not operate between July 2001 and February 2008, mostly due to failure to meet U.S. Forest Service operating requirements. Mount Waterman has higher natural snowfall (average 180 inches) than most Southern California ski areas and its snow is fairly well preserved by tree shading and steep north exposure. However, the snowfall is very erratic and with no snowmaking the area was unable to operate in dry years such as 2001-02. Mount Waterman's commercial appeal is also limited by its topography: a nice beginner area up top and abundant steep glades for experts, but very limited terrain for intermediate skiers.
In January 2005, Barry R. Stubblefield, 48, part owner of Mount Waterman, who was digging out Waterman after a snowstorm, died in a tragic accident on the hill. Stubblefield and two ski patrol members were skiing Friday afternoon when he fell and tumbled out of control until he hit a tree, said Sgt. Don Hudalla of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Crescenta Valley Station.
[edit] 2004-2005 Season
The SoCal region had near record breaking precipitation. Los Angeles nearly broke the record for precipitation. In Feb. 2005 there was 3-6 ft snowpack, then another 10-12 ft of powder fell. This information was obtained from the caretaker at Mount Waterman via mobile phone. The first snowfall was around Thanksgiving, November 2004 of about 3.5 ft; in early May 2005 there was still a snowpack of about 2 ft. This snowpack rivaled the record El Niño years of 1982-83 and 1997-98, but in 2004-05 the area was still not open to the public.
[edit] Events of Note
Angeles Forest Supervisor Simeri E. Jarvi died of a heart attack while climbing this peak in 1964.
In September 2004, Todd Brugger, 33, a caretaker at the Mount Waterman Ski Area and volunteer forestry worker was reported missing, Brugger lives in a trailer on the mountain. Authorities said he rarely left the mountain during the four years he has lived there. A Joint search team was mobilized, from the US Forest Service, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), and private search parties. Brugger reportedly went up to the forest one night to check on what he thought was a suspicious fire. Mount Waterman became an instant search command post. Authorities at the command post received a call that a hitchhiker was picked up by a motorist on Highway 2 and brought to the Newcombs Ranch Inn Restaurant. A subcontractor for Southern California Edison found Brugger. He was dehydrated but in good physical shape, Two days later Brugger returned to his home in the mountain.
[edit] The Mt Waterman LLC Years
On July 2nd, 2006, the Pasadena Star reported that Rick Metcalf, an associate of Lynn Newcomb, and longtime Waterman skier, had formed Mt. Waterman LLC and purchased the Mount Waterman and Kratka Ridge ski areas and was securing operating permits with the goal of reopening Mount Waterman for the 2006-2007 ski season. A new Mt Waterman web site launched on January 11, 2008 publishing a notice that set opening date in early February.
On Sunday, February 10, 2008, a Mt. Waterman employee reported on a popular skiing forum that the mountain would open on Saturday, February 16, and that employees and ski patrol were busy "coming up to dig out the lifts, (providing) lift training for employees... setting tower pads, and so on".[9]
[edit] February 2008 Re-opening
February 16, 2008 was the official re-opening day of Mt. Waterman. Over 200 persons were in attendance. Chairs 1 and 2 were operational; Chair 3 was still being dug out from recent snow fall. The Metcalfs, other owners and press were in attendance, as well as former owner Lynn Newcomb.[10]
The resort operated for approximately 5 weeks on a limited, weekend schedule (Saturdays and Sundays), closing in mid-March 2008.
[edit] Mailing Address
Mt Waterman Ski Lifts
Star Route 2
La Canada, CA 91011
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Mount Waterman official web site
- Mount Waterman Ski Patrol
- Mt. Waterman and Kratka Ridge Article
- Southland Ski Server-Mount Waterman
- Newcomb's Ranch
- SoCal Skiing History
- The Angeles National Forest site from the USDA Forest Service
- Los Angeles Times Article,"It's all about character "
- Los Angeles Daily News Article, "Death of coach left team at a loss", about then owner Barry Stubblefield.
- Los Angeles Times article, "Rebirth of a pioneer gives skiers a lift", regarding February 16 re-opening.
