Mount Waterman
Encyclopedia
Mount Waterman is a ski
area on Waterman Mountain
in the San Gabriel Mountains
of the Angeles National Forest
in Los Angeles County, California
. The area is located on California State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway
, and reaches a height of 8030 ft (2,447.5 m) with an overall vertical drop of 1030 ft (313.9 m). 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 at 6900 ft (2,103.1 m), warming hut, restrooms, ski school, ski patrol
(first aid), ski rentals–though currently inactive–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 8036 ft (2,449.4 m) summit, there is a plateau with large boulders. Waterman has three double chairlift
s to serve its ski trails. Mount Waterman currently has no snowmaking equipment.
There are steep backcountry ski trails on the east and northwest sides 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.
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.
Mount Waterman claims to have had the first chairlift in California, opened by the Newcombs on January 1, 1941. 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. The area stayed the same as it was in 1941, a single chair chair lift and three rope tows until 1968. Then chair #2 was added, a fixed grip double. it opened for the 1968-69 season with a spectacular amount of snow. The original single was replaced in 1972 with a fixed grip double. In 1981, chair 3 was added. Lynn Jr. 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.
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
) & his brother Gregory R. Stubblefield of Pasadena
(United Way benefactor & regional president and chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car
), James "Jim" R. Newcomb of Valencia and Charles "Chuck" W. Ojala (also residing in Valencia). Together they formed Angeles Crest Resorts (ACR) and operated Mount Waterman and neighboring Snowcrest
ski area beginning in 1999.
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 the 2001/2002 season. 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.
region had nearly record breaking precipitation that winter. Los Angeles almost broke its highest record for precipitation. In Feb. 2005 there was 3 to 6 ft (0.9144 to 1.8 ) snowpack
, and then another 10 to 12 ft (3 to 3.7 ) of powder fell. This information was obtained from the caretaker at Mount Waterman via mobile phone
. The first snowfall was before Halloween 2004 and averaged 3.5 ft (1.1 m); in early May 2005 there was still a snowpack of about 2 ft (0.6096 m). 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. But stories of long hikes up the closed Angeles Crest Highway to Cloudburst Summit, then onto the buried lodge are remembered by a select few. There was one snowfall in particular that year that reached the bull wheel at the base of chair one! The top of one was merely a mound of snow with a channel cut through, while the lodge was completely buried--gone...
In September 2004, Todd Brugger, 33, a caretaker
at the Mount Waterman Ski Area and volunteer forestry worker was reported missing, Brugger lives in the oldest structure 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 some lights and activity up towards the reservoir. After further investigation and a hike to brass cap, Brugger loses all memory of the next hours. After a phone call to a friend via cell phone he comes to in Devils Canyon unharmed but with a good headache. After hiking himself out to the highway, Brugger is picked up by an Edison subcontractor and taken to Newcomb's Ranch
. He was dehydrated but in good physical shape. Two days later Brugger returned to his home in the mountain where he continues to live and run mountain operations.
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.
The resort operated for approximately five weeks on a limited, weekend schedule (Saturdays and Sundays), closing in mid-March 2008. The snow pack had melted to patches by mid-May, only to revive in a Memorial Day weekend storm of over two feet.
The Station Fire's most serious impact upon Mt. Waterman was the closure of the Angeles Crest Hwy above La Canada during all of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 ski seasons.
The Angeles Crest Hwy above La Canada finally reopened in May 2011, so Mt. Waterman will have normal access in future ski seasons.
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
area on Waterman Mountain
Waterman Mountain
Waterman Mountain, at 8,038 ft, is a prominent peak in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, California within the Angeles National Forest. Several small ski areas are located on its north side: Mount Waterman, Kratka Ridge, and Buckhorn Ski Club...
in the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
of the Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. The area is located on California State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway
Angeles Crest Highway
The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
, and reaches a height of 8030 ft (2,447.5 m) with an overall vertical drop of 1030 ft (313.9 m). Mount Waterman is leased under a special use permit from the Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Skiable terrain is distributed as: 20% beginner terrain, 20% intermediate, and 60% advanced.
Mount Waterman facilities include a ticket booth at the base at 6900 ft (2,103.1 m), warming hut, restrooms, ski school, ski patrol
Ski patrol
A Ski Patrol is an organization that provides Emergency Medical and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, either at a ski area or in a back country setting. Patrollers are trained in Basic or Advanced Life Support to stabilize and transport patients to definitive care,...
(first aid), ski rentals–though currently inactive–and a heliport
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
halfway up the mountain. Near the top there is a 5 million gallon, tadpole-filled reservoir for a future snowmaking
Snowmaking
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun" or "snow cannon", on ski slopes. Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliability of their snow cover and to extend their ski...
system, and at the 8036 ft (2,449.4 m) summit, there is a plateau with large boulders. Waterman has three double chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
s to serve its ski trails. Mount Waterman currently has no snowmaking equipment.
There are steep backcountry ski trails on the east and northwest sides of the mountain, though skiing these trails is not recommended since it is not patrolled. During heavy El Niño
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
snowfall in 1998 the County Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
ticketed some backcountry skiers who entered these areas. Several skiers and snowboarders went missing and had to be rescued that year.
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. 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 ValleyAntelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
and back again (May 1889). With this epic feat, Liz became the first white (non Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
) 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.
Beginnings
Lynn Newcomb, Sr. and his sons Ren Newcomb and 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, 1941. 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. The area stayed the same as it was in 1941, a single chair chair lift and three rope tows until 1968. Then chair #2 was added, a fixed grip double. it opened for the 1968-69 season with a spectacular amount of snow. The original single was replaced in 1972 with a fixed grip double. In 1981, chair 3 was added. Lynn Jr. ran the ski area for all but a two-year period, when it was sold to two San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
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.
Angeles Crest Resorts (ACR)
Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita can refer to:* Santa Clarita, California* Santa Clarita Valley* Valencia, California...
(owner of a lighting business that serves Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
) & his brother Gregory R. Stubblefield of Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
(United Way benefactor & regional president and chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. is a privately held company formed in 2009 to operate rental car subsidiaries: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, Alamo Rent A Car, WeCar and its commercial fleet management, used car sales, and commercial truck rental operations.Enterprise Holdings was formed as...
), James "Jim" R. Newcomb of Valencia and Charles "Chuck" W. Ojala (also residing in Valencia). Together they formed Angeles Crest Resorts (ACR) and operated Mount Waterman and neighboring Snowcrest
Kratka Ridge
Kratka Ridge or Snowcrest is a skiable area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, California. Located 36 miles northeast of La Cañada and Pasadena along the Angeles Crest Highway, it reaches a height of 7515 feet .The area featured two chair lifts and a rope tow,...
ski area beginning in 1999.
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 the 2001/2002 season. 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
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, said Sgt. Don Hudalla of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Crescenta Valley Station.
2004-2005 season
The Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
region had nearly record breaking precipitation that winter. Los Angeles almost broke its highest record for precipitation. In Feb. 2005 there was 3 to 6 ft (0.9144 to 1.8 ) snowpack
Snowpack
Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high altitudes where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as they melt. Snowpacks are the drinking water source for...
, and then another 10 to 12 ft (3 to 3.7 ) of powder fell. This information was obtained from the caretaker at Mount Waterman via mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
. The first snowfall was before Halloween 2004 and averaged 3.5 ft (1.1 m); in early May 2005 there was still a snowpack of about 2 ft (0.6096 m). 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. But stories of long hikes up the closed Angeles Crest Highway to Cloudburst Summit, then onto the buried lodge are remembered by a select few. There was one snowfall in particular that year that reached the bull wheel at the base of chair one! The top of one was merely a mound of snow with a channel cut through, while the lodge was completely buried--gone...
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
Property caretaker
A Property caretaker is a person, group or organization that cares for real estate for trade or financial compensation, and sometimes as a barter for rent-free living accommodations...
at the Mount Waterman Ski Area and volunteer forestry worker was reported missing, Brugger lives in the oldest structure 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
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the State of California's agency responsible for fire protection in State Responsibility Areas of California as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. It is often referred to as The California Department of...
(CDF), and private search parties. Brugger reportedly went up to the forest one night to check on some lights and activity up towards the reservoir. After further investigation and a hike to brass cap, Brugger loses all memory of the next hours. After a phone call to a friend via cell phone he comes to in Devils Canyon unharmed but with a good headache. After hiking himself out to the highway, Brugger is picked up by an Edison subcontractor and taken to Newcomb's Ranch
Newcomb's Ranch
Newcomb's Ranch is a roadhouse at in elevation in the Angeles National Forest, near Los Angeles, California. It is the only private property along the Angeles Crest Highway and is very popular with motorcyclists and is called "the informal headquarters for riders" by the Los Angeles Magazine and...
. He was dehydrated but in good physical shape. Two days later Brugger returned to his home in the mountain where he continues to live and run mountain operations.
Mt Waterman LLC
On July 2, 2006, the Pasadena Star-News 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 RidgeKratka Ridge
Kratka Ridge or Snowcrest is a skiable area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, California. Located 36 miles northeast of La Cañada and Pasadena along the Angeles Crest Highway, it reaches a height of 7515 feet .The area featured two chair lifts and a rope tow,...
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.
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 largely due to the efforts of a few dedicated locals who dug through ice and dirt to clear the loading zones.; 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.The resort operated for approximately five weeks on a limited, weekend schedule (Saturdays and Sundays), closing in mid-March 2008. The snow pack had melted to patches by mid-May, only to revive in a Memorial Day weekend storm of over two feet.
2008-2009 Season
Mt. Waterman operated during the 2008/2009 ski season. All three lifts ran during the season, and the resort received over 3 feet of snow in December. Conditions throughout the season were variable due to warm weather patterns and winter rain, and the resort usually operated on a Friday-Sunday schedule from Dec. 21 - Jan. 12, then again from Feb. 13 - March 15. Resort facilities received improvements, highlighted by the reopening of the lodge.Station Fire
The Station Fire (2009) exploded out of control on August 29–30, 2009 and was visible to Mt. Waterman caretaker Todd Brugger several miles west of the ski area. The fire took out his phone line early on, so he was completely on his own. Once he started seeing smoke coming from Devil's Canyon directly behind the ski area, he took a bulldozer up to the ridgeline and dumped some dirt off the back to form a firebreak. On Sept. 5 the fire climbed up Devil's Canyon close to Todd's firebreak. The smoke reduced visibility to 10–20 feet but the fire never crossed the ridge into the ski area. In the Winston sidecountry west of the ski area the fire crossed the ridge and burned some ground cover but not the forest. Firefighters finally arrived on the scene at Mt. Waterman on Sept. 6, including a plane with fire retardant.The Station Fire's most serious impact upon Mt. Waterman was the closure of the Angeles Crest Hwy above La Canada during all of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 ski seasons.
2009-2010 and 2010-11 Seasons
Mt. Waterman had enough snow for skiing by late January 2010 but no road access. An alternate route through Big Tujunga Canyon was finally opened in March, so Mt. Waterman operated on its Friday-Sunday schedule from March 13 - April 18. In 2011 Mt. Waterman was again accessible via the Big Tujunga route. It was open the first 2 weekends of January, then Friday-Sunday from February 27 - April 3, except for the 3rd weekend of March when there was too much snow so the road could not be plowed.The Angeles Crest Hwy above La Canada finally reopened in May 2011, so Mt. Waterman will have normal access in future ski seasons.
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.
- Skier's Guide to Mount Waterman, article and photos