Kratka Ridge - The Lost Resorts, Episode 14

[@MammothMountainSnowman]

I used to ski Kratka back in the 80s when I went to high school 35 miles down the road. Ray would let us ski for $3. Had one of the best powder days of my life there.

[@KKrazychic]

Patroller from 91 to 2001!!! ✋⛷️⛑️

[@hightalenttraining7546]

How was it there?! Any great runs you miss hitting... Or anything worth going to try to side / back country?!!

[@rmendell]

@@hightalenttraining7546, the side country was great, as were the patrollers’ approach to access. I recall many conversations, my own and others, with patrollers at the top of the single chair where the gist was “Do you have a beacon? Okay…have fun!”

[@natefrog]

@@hightalenttraining7546 I like the drop in to Vista Point which is East of the top of the single chair but then you got to walk the highway west back to the base again, the far west end down to the highway can be great too but needs a lot of snow for it to be viable

[@rmendell]

Skied Kratka a few times in the 90s. One of those times was, perhaps, the best powder day I’ve ever experienced (and I’m in Colorado now, for context). Drove up early on a weekday, as a big storm was winding down. Got to Kratka just before the lifts started spinning and was third chair. About that time, the sun really came out and we had a bluebird day with about 10” of fresh powder on the mountain. As I skied into the lift complex the third time, I mentioned to the liftie that the place was deserted. Turns out an avalanche had blocked Angeles Crest Hwy a few miles below Kratka. The 10-15 people on the mountain were the only ones that were gonna be on the mountain that day. Skied fresh powder all that day before getting word that the road was clear about 3:30. Best ski day ever.

[@Skier72]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing your memories!

[@RobCooper24]

Green Valley Lake Ski and Snow Drift near Mtn High were clutch.

[@rmendell]

Green Valley Lake (later Big Air Green Valley) was closer to Snow Valley than Mountain High, but absolutely was fun.

[@raystebbins547]

Omg I'd forgotten about green valley! skied there only 1 time!

[@sk8pinkfloyd]

Went to Art Center in Pasadena 1983-1985. The first winter, '83-'84 neither Waterman nor Kratka were able to open, but I knew they both were up the ACH. Winter '84-'85 was fantastic, with dump after dump and sun in between. I hit Waterman 3-4 times, and Kratka at least 10 times. Had unbelievable powder days with hardly anyone there, time after time. Driving up from La Canada in my 1975 Datsun B210 with skis between the seats. Everybody up there was so friendly! Beautiful up there too. So glad I went. :-)

[@johnpatterson4272]

That was always a bucket-list item of mine to ride a 'Single-Chair' lift.

[@mattiatorX]

Castle Mountain in southern Alberta still has one in the beginner area

[@rfdffpm]

Skied at Mt. Waterman three times this last season when it finally re-opened. Kratka and Buckhorn are in Mt. Waterman’s General Plan. There is a map in the ski patrol room that shows future expansion plans on connecting all three areas together as one from the 1990’s. The major hurdle is the endangered species and Sierra Club. The good news if there is any, is that Waterman, Buckhorn and Kratka are in the same general plan with the USFS. It’s kind of like an investment property waiting for the right group of investors to come along. The biggest challenge will be snow making and parking moving forward along with getting the three areas connected. This would be the rival to Bear Mountain Resorts and Mountain High. The gate was on Highway 2 at the Kratka Parking Lot. Lots of people were snow playing on Kratka around Chair 1. There would have to be some serious commitment from CAL Trans to keep the road open to these places as well. The other good news, is Newcomb ranch has been purchased and will re-open. So maybe because of that, CAL Trans will keep the road open more often than not.

[@raystebbins547]

Great video! Thank you!

[@DogWhoFilms]

Snowboarder from Northern Utah here, I REALLY enjoy these videos, it makes me realize how lovely we have it here in Utah. I guess you never know what you have until you see the remnants of amazing fun places that in time no one will remember. So sad. 👍🏻

[@SaveHawaiiReefs]

First skied Kratka in 1959 0:07 as a 6 yo. It took 45 minutes to get there from my family home. Over the years we alternated between Waterman and Kratka. When there was snow, Waterman’ face had the most advanced runs, but Kratka was our family’s favorite. I recently found an old 8mm home movie that brought back so many fond memories.

[@nevadatalbs]

Nice compilation. I learned much and saw some dear old friends (& my bro at 1:30). Where i learned to ski, starting a long skiing career. Jr race team from '66-'70. We all felt like part of the Hensley family thanks to Ed, but especially Mary whom recently passed. A very special woman, bless her soul. (on a shoestring budget, she sewed our team downhill-suits, my 1st, all purple, coach Jimmy Morning's favorite color.

[@markharmon6144]

I skied their ounce on a good year, the coverage was good, and most of runs were easy. The signal chair is unique because at the time there where only two of them worldwide. I bought a pin to remember every ski area I skied at and still have it.

[@skimansskilifts]

Yes a resort review of Kratka Ridge! Explored the ski resort last year looks like the SLI Double chair has a Hall drive don’t know when it got it tho but the lift still had its chairs on it and still had the drive in it.

[@Skier72]

Yes I believe the double was relocated. Have no idea where

[@karlstewart3659]

I skied an incredible deep powder day there in 1992 or 1993, lapping the chair line Very few people in the mtn. that day. Couldn't belive it. I think I bought a Kratka Ridge lapel pin, too! I'll have to check my collection. So awesome a place. I love small ski areas.

[@foreLeftFCH3]

I was on the Mt Waterman Ski Team as kid, I first learn to ski at Kartka Ridge, never forgot those rope tows.

[@SanderAnderon]

wow! Kratka hadn't crossed my aging memory banks probably since the 80s till seeing it here, mind blown. Skied it several times in the 60s/70s when we didn't have time (or money) to go up to Wrightwood, June, Mammoth etc. Thanks for the positive flashback!

[@brucerorty4014]

I skied Kratka Ridge several times in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Very fun runs, the N exposure on the single chair made for nice snow. I skied Mt. Waterman much more, but CalTrans has yet to repair the Angeles Crest Highway past Red Box/Mt. Wilson Road. Love my Waterman t-shirt, The Face is the Place. When Kratka was called Snowcrest in the late 1990s (?), a summer rave concert ended in tragedy for several concert-goers, and huge liability for Snowcrest. Many drought years have made Waterman a hit or miss proposition, sadly more miss than hit.

[@resynthesizer4565]

We had band camp there in the summer of '81. The caretaker was a weightlifter and keyboard player, and had a Mini Moog in his trailer. Good memories. Later in life, we skied there. Maybe about 1988. Small, but good on the right days. IIRC, one of the lifts was gas engine powered. A Chrysler 440 ? Sad to hear it is no longer around.

[@drunvert]

I've been skiing since 1973 and live in Southern California and I've never heard of this place

[@rmendell]

Side note…a little bit further along Angeles Crest from both Waterman and Kratka is a club ski area (Buckhorn) that operated rope tow for many years. I believe the tow is still in place but unused.

[@mindy561]

Hi Mr. Mendell! I am curious....do you happen to have the address of the old Kratka ski resort? I wanted to visit just to see what it looks like today.

[@oschreiber]

When I visited the place 2-3 years ago, club members told me the tow ropes had been declared unfit for service by the forest service so the club is not allowed to use it. Too bad because it looked like there 3 of them.

[@natefrog]

Buckhorn is actually in between Waterman and Kratka, unfortunately the bobcat fire toasted and wrecked the whole upper rope tow area, the same fire destroyed the upper terminal of Kratka's single chair as well. Still great spots for backcountry fun!!

[@natefrog]

@@mindy561 If you haven't been yet, take Highway 2 to Mt Waterman, keep driving East another mile and Buckhorn Ski and Snowboard Club will be on the right, there is parking on the left, you will see a big sign for the ski club on the right, a yellow gate, and a couple skis vertically strapped to a pole.

[@rfdffpm]

Skied at Mt. Waterman three times this last season when it finally re-opened. Kratka and Buckhorn are in Mt. Waterman’s General Plan. There is a map in the ski patrol room that shows future expansion plans on connecting all three areas together as one from the 1990’s. The major hurdle is the endangered species and Sierra Club. The good news if there is any, is that Waterman, Buckhorn and Kratka are in the same general plan with the USFS. It’s kind of like an investment property waiting for the right group of investors to come along. The biggest challenge will be snow making and parking moving forward along with getting the three areas connected. This would be the rival to Bear Mountain Resorts and Mountain High. The gate was on Highway 2 at the Kratka Parking Lot. Lots of people were snow playing on Kratka around Chair 1.

[@gregoryj.m.8985]

Need vid....brings back memories of Kratka with Friends in the 1970s....

[@KKrazychic]

The St Patrick Day parties there in the 90s were epic.

[@Skier72]

I can only imagine... 😂

[@KKrazychic]

@@Skier72 They hired a live band and ran chair 2 at night for sledding. How someone didn't die sliding into highway 2 or a tree is beyond me.

[@StevenMW]

Techno killed Kratka. 🥴

[@Mrstyro65]

I completely forgot about that place weren't there a couple other ski areas off the Angeles Crest highway. I remember they were easy to get to. I think the last time I was there was 87 88

[@shackedmag]

Great Video . One note : Angeles Crest Highway

[@Skier72]

Thanks 😂That's what happens when a Canadian talks about the US... stuff goes wrong

[@utahlostskiareas2036]

Any info on where the double from Kratka Ridge could have come from? It could not have been an original SLI installation if it was installed in 1984. After compiling the history of Ski Lift International's installations, the double would have to be the former Payday double from Park City since it was removed in 1981 and Kratka's double was installed in 1984. Sugar Bowl's SLIs were removed in 1986 and Holiday Hill's was removed in 1989 so the timeline wouldn't match up on either of those.

[@Skier72]

Good point. The base terminal of the double appears much older than the rest of the lift. There's a very high chance it could've come from Payday at Park City. To be honest, though, I really don't know.

[@hightalenttraining7546]

This is so nerdy - I love it! Insanely badass info!

[@dhowe5180]

Kratka used to sell single ride tickets and did my one and only ski run on kratka back in 1979. Fun little ski area. Mt Waterman down the highway is open only in theory. They have an operating permit but I don’t think they’ve operated a single day in the last few years. Usually there’s either too little or too much snow. I also don’t think that CalTrans prioritizes snow plowing on Angeles crest highway as much as they used to so access to mt waterman is sketchy at best

[@TheExperiment108]

LOVE this! Unfortunately I was never able to ski it when it was opened (but have done some backcountry touring up there in the past few years). Aside from Berthoud and a few in Washington, most of your videos are up in Canada. How did you end up finding out about Kratka? Absolutely love watching this and several of your other videos. Great work!

[@Skier72]

Thanks for your comment! Kratka had been on my radar for quite awhile with it's unique history. In a few weeks, I'll be releasing a video on Iron Mountain in California.

[@mprkg]

What a shame Kratka is no more, and Mt. Waterman probably will never open again thanks to total mismanagement, no employees, and CalTrans won't pave the road. 2023 was the best ski and snow season EVER in California, and Waterman never opened. I believe they have been open 10 times in the past 20 years? Shame they don't sell it, put in high speed quads and snow making, as well as some housing up there.

[@Skier72]

Agreed, from an outsider it appears to be an extremely dysfunctional and mismanaged mountain

[@JamesRegister-np7gn]

To clarify for Skiing I mean Ski Magazine 1974 publication/publications and around that time.

[@JamesRegister-np7gn]

Other ski areas you could cover that are semi famous include, Shu-Maker mountain, Beacon, big vanilla for NY, For Virginia: Rappahannock, Shawnee Land, Cascade Mountain. Quebec: Grande Coulee.

[@Skier72]

Definitely there are plenty, especially on the east coast. I"m sure I'll get to (most of) these places eventually.

[@KKrazychic]

Don't forget Rattledena

[@natefrog]

The trees there can be a lot of fun! That aspect can get pretty iced up after the sun hits it for a bit then the wind picks up though so got to be mindful haha

[@KKrazychic]

I have some 1992 1993 video I think