One Ski Resort’s Long-Shot Bet to Survive Low Snowfall and Devastating Wildfires

For much of its 85-year existence, the Mount Waterman resort has drawn skiers and outdoor enthusiasts from around Los Angeles for its no-fuss, no-frills experience.
Unlike all other ski hills in Southern California, Mount Waterman, the closest mountain resort to Los Angeles, didn’t make snow (its motto has long been “Praying for snow since 1939”), and it has only a modest warming hut and three chairlifts. But its steep inclines and access to backcountry terrain kept loyal snow-sports fans coming back.
“It’s steep, gladed — one of the greatest places I’ve skied,” said Michael Melton, a board member of the Buckhorn Ski Lodge, a private lodge near Mount Waterman. “It doesn’t have the acreage of a Palisades Tahoe, but it has the punch.”