Ten Skiers Missing After Lake Tahoe Avalanche
An avalanche near Lake Tahoe has left ten backcountry skiers missing, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation. Six other skiers were found alive following the incident, which highlights the significant dangers of the region's backcountry terrain.
- The avalanche occurred around 11:30 a.m. near Perry Peak in the Castle Peak area, a popular backcountry zone north of Lake Tahoe. - The group consisted of 15 individuals—12 clients and 4 guides from the Blackbird Mountain Guides company—who were on the final day of a three-day trip from the Frog Lake backcountry huts. - The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a "High" (Level 4) avalanche danger warning for the region, with the slide later classified as a D2.5, large enough to bury a vehicle. - A major winter storm was impacting the area at the time, with up to 30 inches of new snow and gale-force winds creating treacherous conditions. - A large-scale response involving 46 emergency first responders was launched, with rescue teams on skis and in Sno-Cats dispatched from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner's Alder Creek Adventure Center. - The six survivors were located and sheltered in place with a tarp amidst intense snowfall while awaiting evacuation; two were later transported to a hospital for treatment. - This incident occurred just a month after a snowmobiler was killed in a 300-foot-wide avalanche on the same mountain.
