8 Skiers Confirmed Dead in California Avalanche; 1 Missing
Eight of nine missing skiers caught in an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada are dead. This marks the deadliest U.S. avalanche in over four decades.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said the last missing skier is presumed dead. Authorities told families operations were shifting from rescue to recovery.
The avalanche hit on February 17 in the Castle Peak area northwest of Lake Tahoe which is the length of a football field. It happened during a massive winter storm. The group of 15 people was returning from a three-day trek through rugged backcountry.
Six survived. They contacted emergency teams using beacons and the iPhone SOS feature. Rescuers skied two miles through backcountry to reach them. They found eight bodies. Two survivors had non-life-threatening injuries.
Moon described the weather as "horrific." Storm's fierce winds and snowfall made it "impossible to see" at times. The threat of more avalanches has prevented authorities from recovering the last remaining body. Moon continued,
"Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier."
The avalanche hit during the strongest winter storm of the year for Lake Tahoe. Interstate 80 closed over Donner Pass. Over two feet of snow fell since Sunday, February 15.
The Group Was Guided
Truckee-based company Blackbird Mountain Guides said the group included four guides and 11 clients on a three-day ski trip. The avalanche hit as they were "returning to the trailhead at the conclusion" of their journey.
Of the six survivors, one is a Blackbird employee. Five were clients. One man and five women. Their ages ranged from 30 to 55.
They were staying at the Frog Lake huts; remote structures in an area known for avalanche risk and hard to reach during winter. You have to ski, snowboard, or snowshoe for miles to get there. All routes to the Frog Lake huts during winter "have some degree of avalanche hazard," according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust.
Castle Peak is an over 9,000-foot peak near Donner Summit. It’s a popular backcountry skiing destination.
So, this wasn't amateurs wandering into dangerous terrain. This was a guided group with professional guides who knew the area. They had proper equipment—beacons, probes, shovels. They knew the risks.
The Risk Hasn't Passed
Avalanche risk remains high. A warning is in place through at least February 19.
"Rapidly accumulating snowfall, weak layers in the existing snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains," the U.S. Forest Service Sierra Avalanche Center said February 18. "Natural avalanches are likely, and human-triggered avalanches large enough to bury or injure people are very likely."
The avalanche happened at about 8,200 feet elevation in the Castle Peak area. Rated D2.5. That indicates a "large" to "very large" slide capable of burying or seriously injuring a person.
Who Were the Victims?
Through a spokesperson, the families of the six deceased women released a joint statement identifying the skiers as:
Carrie Atkin
Liz Clabaugh
Danielle Keatley
Kate Morse
Caroline Sekar
Kate Vitt
The statement released by the six victims’ family members writes, “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors. They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains. They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee–Tahoe region.”
How Avalanche Beacons Work
The Truckee Donner Land Trust advises all visitors to Frog Lake huts to carry a beacon, probe, and shovel in winter.
Avalanche beacons send a radio signal. You wear it on your person in send/transmit mode. It sends a constant signal. If somebody gets buried, others switch their beacons to search mode and find the signal. It gets stronger the closer you are.
The six survivors used beacons and iPhone SOS to contact emergency teams. That's how rescuers found them. Sadly, that's how they're finding the bodies.
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