Mt. Waterman to open for first time in 5 years

Mt. Waterman in 2010, via Facebook.

Mt. Waterman is the closest ski area to Los Angeles, located on Angeles Crest well east of Mt. Wilson, but it hasn't operated since the winter of 2010-2011. Now, with new ownership and a fresh dump of snow, Mt. Waterman is planning to open the ski lifts next weekend. Angeles Crest Highway is still blocked by snow east of the Newcomb Ranch Inn so no skiing this weekend. From the ski area's Facebook page:

We still have about the same, 2-3 feet snow, the hill is looking good with perfect conditions for our base, heavy wet snow. Temp on the hill is 22 degrees and foggy...Caltrans has started plowing the roads but the 2 is still closed to the hill.

The Mountain will be CLOSED this weekend. We will be getting the hill ready to open for next weekend Jan.16, 17, 18 2016.

Hours will be 9am-4pm and we will be open Monday the 18th for the holiday as well.

We are thrilled to be announcing our opening after a long long wait.

They have a snow phone number and other info on the Mt. Waterman website. Mt. Waterman was bought in 2006 by two brothers and three oither investors who are all graduates of La Cañada High School. Mt. Waterman does not have snow-making equipment so it's all about the weather. “Our snow comes from heaven, not the hoses,” Brien Metcalf, one of the owners, told Times Community News.

Mt. Waterman began with a rope tow in 1941 that reportedly was the first ski lift in Southern California. Founder Lynn Newcomb Jr., whose family property in the San Gabriel Mountains pre-dates Angeles National Forest, died in 2011. Mt. Waterman also was dark for five years before re-opening to skiers in 2008.