Marin County Mother Dies in Avalanche
A woman from Marin County died in an avalanche while backcountry skiing. The incident has prompted authorities to increase safety efforts and assess avalanche risks in the region. The event highlights the dangers of winter recreation following recent snowfall.
- The avalanche, which occurred near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada, is the deadliest in modern California history, with eight skiers confirmed dead and a ninth presumed deceased. - The victims were part of a group of 15 people on a three-day backcountry ski trip organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. The group included 11 clients and four guides. - Three of the identified victims were from Marin County: Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, and Kate Vitt. All of the women identified were mothers. - The families of the victims released a statement emphasizing that the women were experienced and well-prepared backcountry skiers who trusted their professional guides. - Kate Morse was the vice president of commercial strategy at biotech firm Septerna. Danielle Keatley was the co-founder of Keatley Wines in Healdsburg. Kate Vitt was a former executive at SiriusXM and Pandora. - The Sierra Avalanche Center had observed at least 50 avalanches in the Lake Tahoe area since September 2025, and the region was ranked four out of five on the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale at the time of the incident. - This incident surpasses the 1982 Alpine Meadows avalanche, which killed seven people and was previously the state's deadliest.
