San Antonio Ski Hut

The San Antonio Ski Hut is a historic backcountry ski hut located in the San Gabriel Mountains within San Bernardino County, California, United States. Situated at an elevation of approximately 8,300 feet (about 2,530 meters) in Baldy Bowl near Mount San Antonio (Old Baldy), it is protected within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The hut was conceived by Dr. Walter Mosauer, an Austrian transplant and UCLA zoology professor who is regarded as the founder of Southern California backcountry skiing. After making a ski descent of Old Baldy on February 14, 1932, Mosauer suggested building a ski hut in Baldy Bowl. The Ski Mountaineers Section (SMS) of the Sierra Club was founded in 1934, and on October 25, 1935, it acquired a permit to construct the hut. Completed in 1936 through volunteer labor, the hut was destroyed by fire on September 20, 1936, but was immediately rebuilt and remains near its original condition. The hut is managed by the Sierra Club and offers basic amenities including a fully equipped kitchen, dishes, cookware, running water from a spring, solar lighting, and sleeping space for up to 16 people. Access requires a steep 3-mile hike with a 2,200-foot elevation gain, starting from a trailhead beyond a locked gate on San Antonio Falls Road. The hut is typically open on weekends, but visitors are advised to contact the scheduled host due to weather or trail conditions. It operates on an individual commissary basis, with large groups requiring special reservation. Rules include no open fires, cooking only on wood stoves inside, no pets inside, and pack-out trash. The hut is a key destination for backcountry skiers and mountaineers in Southern California.

The San Antonio Ski Hut was born from the vision of Dr. Walter Mosauer, an Austrian transplant and professor of zoology at UCLA, who is credited as the "founder" of Southern California backcountry skiing. Mosauer began teaching his skiing techniques to young students in 1931, and together they made numerous ski descents in the local mountains, including Old Baldy (Mount San Antonio), San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto. On February 14, 1932, Dr. Mosauer made a ski descent of Old Baldy and was so impressed with the natural bowl and snow conditions that he first suggested erecting a "ski hutte" in Baldy Bowl. In 1934, the Ski Mountaineers Section (SMS) of the Sierra Club was founded. On October 25, 1935, the SMS acquired a permit to construct the San Antonio Ski Hut. The hut was completed in 1936 through pure human labor and volunteer work, at an elevation of 8,200 feet near a year-round spring. However, the hut was burned to the ground by a fire on September 20, 1936, only about a year after its completion. It was immediately rebuilt and remains near its original condition today. The hut is now managed by the Sierra Club and is protected within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. It continues to serve as a destination for backcountry skiers and mountaineers, with basic amenities and a rustic atmosphere.

• 1936

  The hut is completed through volunteer labor at an elevation of 8,200 feet.

• 1936

  On September 20, the hut is burned to the ground by a fire, then immediately rebuilt.

• 1935

  On October 25, the SMS acquires a permit to construct the San Antonio Ski Hut.

• 1934

  The Ski Mountaineers Section (SMS) of the Sierra Club is founded.

• 1932

  On February 14, Dr. Mosauer makes a ski descent of Old Baldy and suggests building a ski hut in Baldy Bowl.

• 1931

  Dr. Walter Mosauer begins teaching skiing techniques to young students in Southern California.

A historic, volunteer-built backcountry ski hut offering rustic accommodation and a base for skiing and mountaineering in the San Gabriel Mountains, operated by the Sierra Club.

• Overnight lodging

  Sleeping room for up to 16 people.

• Kitchen facilities

  Fully equipped kitchen with dishes, cookware, and running water from a spring.

• Solar lighting

  Solar-powered lighting in the hut.

1. 1San Antonio Ski Hut | Sierra Clubsierraclub.org
2. 2History | Sierra Clubsierraclub.org
3. 3San Antonio Ski Hut - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Refuge de ski San Antonio - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org