Lead: On Tuesday, a large avalanche north of Lake Tahoe struck a backcountry ski party near Castle Peak, killing nine people and injuring or entrapping others. Families have identified six of the deceased as members of a close-knit group of women who traveled from Northern California and Idaho for a multi-day trip; three of the dead were professional guides. Officials say remains for eight people have been located and one person remains unaccounted for and is presumed dead. Rescue teams recovered six survivors; extreme weather and unstable snow continued to hamper recovery and investigation efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Nine people died in the Castle Peak avalanche; six of those were part of a group of friends who organized the backcountry trip and three were hired guides.
- Families identified six women as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt; they lived across the Bay Area, Idaho and the Truckee–Tahoe region.
- The party totaled 15 people: 11 participants and four paid guides working for Blackbird Mountain Guides; six people were rescued alive.
- Officials located the remains of eight victims; one person remains unaccounted for and is presumed dead.
- The expedition was returning from the Frog Lake huts during a major winter storm that dumped several feet of fresh, unstable snow, increasing avalanche risk.
- Rescue teams received a distress call around 11:30 a.m. and reached survivors by about 5:30 p.m. amid blizzard conditions and remote terrain.
- Three of the four guides held training or certification from the American Mountain Guides Assn. and taught for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.
Background
The trip was a three-day backcountry journey to the Frog Lake huts, a remote cabin network used by backcountry skiers north of Lake Tahoe. The huts are managed by the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and the route from trailhead to cabins traverses known avalanche-prone slopes that require extended travel time and careful route-finding. Blackbird Mountain Guides advertises the Frog Lake itinerary as access to high-quality backcountry terrain; guides typically accompany clients for navigation and safety in mixed winter conditions.
Backcountry skiing parties often combine recreational participants with paid guides; on this outing 11 participants joined four guides. The women who died were described by their families as experienced backcountry skiers who planned the trip in advance and traveled with standard avalanche safety equipment. Organizers and families emphasize that groups still face elevated risk when weather and snowpack conditions change rapidly.
Main Event
According to officials, the party set out as forecasters warned of the season’s largest storm in the High Sierra. By Tuesday morning several feet of new, unstable snow had fallen. As the group attempted a return route beneath steep slopes, members reported seeing a large wall of snow move toward them—a mass described by an official as roughly the size of a football field.
Witnesses and authorities said someone shouted an alert before the avalanche struck. Emergency services received a distress call around 11:30 a.m.; search-and-rescue operations proceeded under whiteout conditions, high winds and deep new snow. Teams reached and extricated survivors later that day, with officials reporting six people rescued alive—four men and two women aged 30 to 55.
Recovery operations located remains for eight victims; inclement weather complicated both recovery and scene examination. Authorities have not publicly released the names of those killed, though families have issued statements identifying six women from the friend group. Investigators and the guide company have said it is premature to draw conclusions while inquiries continue.
Analysis & Implications
The disaster underscores the persistent hazard that large, fast-arriving storms pose in high-elevation terrain. Avalanche risk is a function of snowpack history, new load, slope angle and trigger exposure; when several feet of fresh, wind-transported snow fall quickly, previously stable layers can fail. Even experienced parties and trained guides face a narrow margin for safe decision-making during such windows of elevated hazard.
For the guiding industry this incident raises questions about operational protocols in extreme storms: route selection, group spacing, real-time weather assessment and decision thresholds for postponing travel. Blackbird Mountain Guides has stated its guides were trained and in communication with senior staff; company procedures and incident logs will be central to official reviews by search-and-rescue and, if applicable, regulatory or civil investigators.
At a community level, the deaths have reverberated through ski clubs, schools and families across Northern California and Idaho. The mix of recreational clients and certified guides in this tragedy will likely prompt renewed discussion among land managers, guiding businesses and avalanche educators about contingency planning, trip cancellation criteria and client communication during forecasted high-consequence storms.
Comparison & Data
| Detail | Number |
|---|---|
| People on trip | 15 (11 participants, 4 guides) |
| People killed | 9 |
| Victims from friend group | 6 (identified by families) |
| Guides among dead | 3 of 4 |
| Survivors rescued | 6 (four men, two women; ages 30–55) |
| Remains located | 8; 1 unaccounted (presumed dead) |
This table summarizes the numbers authorities provided and family identifications released to date. Those figures will be updated publicly as official agencies complete identifications and as investigators release additional factual findings about timing, avalanche size and travel decisions.
Reactions & Quotes
“We are devastated beyond words. Our focus right now is supporting our children and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women.”
Families of the victims (statement)
The bereaved families requested privacy and emphasized the women were mothers and friends bound by a shared love of the outdoors.
“This was an enormous tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced.”
Zeb Blais, founder, Blackbird Mountain Guides
Blackbird’s founder said the company’s guides held formal mountain-guiding and avalanche-instruction credentials and asked the public to avoid speculation while investigations proceed.
“We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us.”
Stephen McMahon, executive director, Sugar Bowl Academy (statement)
Representatives from local ski programs and schools described communal grief and a focus on supporting athletes and families.
Unconfirmed
- Exact causal sequence of the avalanche—official investigators have not yet released a final determination of the trigger or failure layer.
- Whether the group altered routes or timing immediately before the avalanche—accounts are still being collected and corroborated.
- Identification and public release of the ninth presumed-dead individual—authorities have not issued a full list of victims.
Bottom Line
This event is a stark reminder that even experienced backcountry skiers and certified guides face severe risk in rapidly changing mountain weather and snow conditions. The combination of a major winter storm, deep fresh snow and steep terrain produced circumstances in which an avalanche became deadly for a multi-person party.
Investigations and official after-action reports will be critical to understanding what happened and what operational or regulatory changes might reduce future risk. For communities, the immediate priority remains supporting grieving families and survivors while authorities continue recovery and fact-finding efforts.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times (news report)