Eight Skiers Die in California Avalanche
Eight backcountry skiers died in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in nearly 45 years near Lake Tahoe, caught when a monster winter storm unleashed a wall of snow on a slope near Soda Springs, California. The group was part of a global adventure tour outfit and included members with deep roots in the Lake Tahoe alpine community. Recovery operations have shifted from rescue to recovery as ongoing heavy snowfall hampers efforts.
- The avalanche is the deadliest in the U.S. in nearly 45 years, since a 1981 incident on Mount Rainier in Washington killed 11 climbers. This event is now considered the fourth deadliest in U.S. history. - A powerful winter storm that produced the avalanche brought 3 to 6 feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada region. The National Weather Service reported that snow was falling at a rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour in some areas near the avalanche, with ridge-top wind gusts approaching 100 mph. - The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche warning for the Lake Tahoe region early on the day of the incident, advising against travel in, near, or below backcountry avalanche terrain. An investigation is underway regarding the decision to proceed with the ski trip despite the warnings. - The guided excursion was operated by Blackbird Mountain Guides, whose founder stated the guides on the trip were highly experienced and certified. Three of the company's guides were among the deceased. - Six of the victims have been identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt, all of whom were mothers and passionate, skilled skiers. Many in the group had strong ties to the Sugar Bowl Academy, a local ski school. - The group of 15, consisting of 11 clients and four guides, was on the final day of a three-day trip to the Frog Lake backcountry huts when the avalanche, roughly the size of a football field, struck. - Recovery efforts for the deceased and one missing person, who is presumed dead, have been significantly delayed by ongoing hazardous weather conditions, including the risk of further avalanches. - This was the second fatal avalanche in the Castle Peak area this year; a snowmobiler was killed in the same vicinity in January.
