New Owners of Los Angeles Ski Area Announce Plans for Elite Club

Mt. Waterman, a small ski area just outside Los Angeles, California, has found a new home after going up for sale earlier this year.

Angeles Mountain Partners LLC (AMP) has acquired the mountain, and the group plans to add an extremely limited country-club-style membership program—the Waterman100—to Mt. Waterman's repertoire.

In a press release , AMP noted that the program will afford members a shared equity pool and liquidity options to sell their memberships at a potentially heightened market rate on exit.

According to the Waterman100 website , other perks include private powder days, generational membership, and helipad access. One blurb on the website reads: "In some cultures, fresh tracks are reserved for royalty. In L.A., they're for the Waterman100." During the private powder days, portions of Mt. Waterman's piste will be reserved for Waterman100 members. Only 100 membership entries are available.

The Waterman100’s existence doesn’t mean that public access is going out the window, Joshua Shelton, co-founder of AMP, confirmed to POWDER via email. Mt. Waterman will remain open to the public as it has been in the past, with a stipulation involving the private powder days. When the snow really starts to stack up, public access will be limited until conditions normalize.

"This is a special place, and most people my age (43) aren't aware this area of L.A. exists," said Shelton. "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."

Several infrastructure improvements at Mt. Waterman are planned for the future, some of which have already been approved. During the first phase, the ski area's new owners aim to expand the warming hut, clubhouse, and retail shop and improve eight mountain bike trails. Further phases include the construction of a new chairlift.

The Newcomb family opened Mt. Waterman decades ago. It possesses true "hidden gem" status in an area of Southern California that already isn't known for its ski access. If you're not from Los Angeles, you might be shocked to learn that a handful of chairlifts are only about an hour's drive away (to locals, that fact will come as no surprise—Mt. Baldy is another day-trippable ski area outside Los Angeles).

Mt. Waterman has weathered prolonged closures (between 2001 and 2008, the ski area didn’t operate at all), a wildfire, and a lack of snow. In 2023, State Route 2, which accesses Mt. Waterman, was damaged and closed after intense storms. Historically, the ski area has been open between 12 to 25 days a year.

Mt. Waterman Stats/Info:

• Vertical: 1,030 ft.
  
• Skiable Terrain: 390 ac.
  
• Lifts: 3
• Trails: 27

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