California Avalanche Kills Eight Skiers
A large avalanche struck backcountry skiers near Castle Peak in Soda Springs, California, killing eight of nine missing skiers. Emergency beacons and satellite texting helped alert rescuers who faced treacherous conditions during the search effort.
- The avalanche is the deadliest in modern California history, surpassing a 1982 incident at the Alpine Meadows resort that killed seven people. - The group of 15, consisting of 11 clients and four guides from the Truckee-based company Blackbird Mountain Guides, was on a multi-day backcountry ski trip to the Frog Lake huts. - An avalanche warning was in effect for the greater Lake Tahoe area at the time of the incident, with the Sierra Avalanche Center rating the danger as "high" (level 4 out of 5) due to heavy snowfall and strong winds creating unstable conditions. - The victims were described as experienced and well-prepared backcountry skiers who were fully equipped with avalanche safety gear. - Six members of the group survived the avalanche and were rescued after several hours amid treacherous weather conditions, including gale-force winds and heavy snow. - Six of the deceased have been identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt, many of whom were mothers and part of a close-knit group with ties to the Sugar Bowl ski community. - Recovery efforts for the deceased have been hampered by the ongoing severe weather, and the U.S. Forest Service has temporarily closed the Castle Peak area to the public for safety. - California's workplace safety regulator, Cal/OSHA, has opened an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides following the fatal event.
