California – People may not consider Los Angeles as a great place to be a ski bum, but there are various options for those that live around the area. If you want a shorter day trip, you can head to Big Bear, Mountain High, and Mt. Baldy. You can go to Mammoth for a weekend trip, either by car or plane. The closest ski area is Mt. Waterman, situated around an hour away from downtown LA. However, not many people know about it.
This week, it was announced that Angeles Mountain Partners LLC (“AMP”) has acquired Mt. Waterman Alpine Lifts. In recent years, Mt. Waterman has had an inconsistent operating schedule. It reopened for the first time since 2020 this past winter but only operated on a limited basis for the 2023-24 season. Earlier this year, Pacific West Business Properties put the SoCal ski area on the market for $2.275 million.
Their new leadership team has 35+ years of resort development and snowmaking operations. Here’s what Joshua Shelton, co-founder of AMP, told us about his background:
“I grew up less than an hour away, boarding most of my life, and I don’t think anyone I know has ever visited the forest in this area. Once you do, you realize it’s awesome, and we’re excited to make a bunch of improvements (like snowmaking) that will allow us to best serve the public through the winter season.”
The new ownership group has significant plans for the ski resort. Planned projects include a new snowmaking system, a tubing hill serviced by a magic carpet, a new special events venue, a glamping village, new dining options, an upgraded warming hut, clubhouse buildings, a terrain park, and a mountain biking park. Ultimately, this new ownership group intends to make this place a year-round destination.
Some of these projects have already been approved and can be implemented as soon as possible, like the tubing hill, mountain biking park, special events, and improvements to the warming hut and clubhouse. Other projects (snowmaking, glamping, ropes course, and zipline) have received preliminary approval but will have secondary approvals. Long-term projects like an amphitheater, hotel/lodge, and new lifts would need to go through the U.S. Forest Service approval process.
This will be a public ski resort, but there will be a membership program that comes with some major perks. The Waterman 100 is a limited membership program that comes with perks like exclusive access on powder days, helipad access, and backcountry snowcat access. When the roads are closed during the aftermath of heavy major snow storms, the helipad will allow these members to reach Waterman for those bluebird powder days.
“This is a special place, and most people my age (43) aren’t aware this area of LA exists. It’s a National Forest, and only an hour from the warming hut to sitting at the Dodger game. Go Blue!” said Joshua Shelton, Co-Founder of AMP. “We can’t control the weather, but we can manage how many people gain access to the absolute best conditions our resort will have to offer, and that’s an honor we reserve for the Waterman100.”
Many questions remain about how the newest chapter in Waterman’s history will unfold, but it’s nice to see a new ownership group investing in it.
Image/Video Credits: Mt. Waterman Mountain Resort