California Avalanche Kills Eight Skiers
Eight of nine initially missing backcountry skiers were found deceased after a massive avalanche hit near Soda Springs, California at the Castle Peak trailhead. Rescue teams raced to reach the group of 15 skiers, with authorities now reviewing the guide company's decision to proceed despite warnings about unstable snowpack conditions. The tragedy has sparked renewed focus on backcountry skiing safety protocols.
- The avalanche, which occurred on February 17, 2026, is the deadliest in modern California history and the most fatal in the U.S. in over 40 years. - The guided trip was operated by Blackbird Mountain Guides, and the group consisted of 11 clients and four guides on the final day of a three-day excursion staying at the Frog Lake huts. Six clients and three guides were among the deceased. - On the morning of the avalanche, the Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a high-danger warning (a 4 on a 5-level scale), advising against travel in avalanche terrain due to heavy snowfall and high winds creating unstable snowpack. - The slide occurred on a north-facing slope near Perry Peak at an elevation of roughly 8,300 feet, with a debris field about the size of a football field. - Investigations into the incident have been launched by both the Nevada County Sheriff's Office for potential criminal negligence and Cal/OSHA, the state's workplace safety agency. - The six survivors, including one guide and five clients, were able to dig themselves out and used an iPhone's SOS satellite feature to call for help. Rescue teams faced blizzard conditions and had to travel for hours to reach them. - This was the second fatal avalanche in the Castle Peak area in 2026; a snowmobiler was killed in a slide just a mile away in January. - The six female clients who perished were part of a close-knit group of experienced backcountry skiers and mothers from the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho, and the Lake Tahoe area.
