On Feb. 18–20, 2026, an avalanche near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada killed at least eight people and left a ninth missing and presumed dead, officials said. The group was on the final day of a three-day backcountry trip to the Frog Lake huts; the dead included three experienced guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides and six clients who were part of a group of mothers. California’s workplace safety agency, Cal‑OSHA, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office have opened inquiries into the incident to determine whether failures in planning, oversight or criminal negligence played a role. Investigators say the probe is preliminary and that conclusions about responsibility are not yet established.
Key takeaways
- Fatalities and missing: Eight people have been confirmed dead and a ninth is missing and presumed dead following the avalanche near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday, Feb. 18–20, 2026.
- Party composition: The party totaled 15 people; nine were dead or missing and six were rescued, including one additional Blackbird employee.
- Guides among the dead: Three experienced guides employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides were among those killed; six of the deceased were clients in the party.
- Official probes launched: Cal‑OSHA opened a workplace-safety investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office initiated a preliminary criminal-negligence probe.
- Location and timing: The avalanche occurred near the end of a backcountry route to the Frog Lake huts, close to Castle Peak and along trails used from the Donner Pass area.
- Rescue and recovery: Emergency responders and party members rescued six people from the scene; search operations continue for the missing individual.
- Investigative uncertainty: Authorities have emphasized the investigation is ongoing and said it is too early to determine whether criminal charges will be applicable.
Background
The Sierra Nevada’s high-elevation terrain around Lake Tahoe and Donner Pass is a well-known backcountry skiing area with frequent guided trips to remote huts such as the Frog Lake complex. Each winter, professional guiding companies run multi-day excursions for clients, relying on guides’ route selection, avalanche forecasting and group management to limit exposure to unstable slopes. Avalanche risk is influenced by recent snowfall, wind-loading, temperature swings and weak layers within the snowpack; specific triggers and local snow structure often determine whether a slope will release.
Backcountry guiding occupies a regulatory gray zone between private recreation and workplace oversight: when guides operate commercially, workplace-safety regulators can investigate employer practices, training and equipment. Past incidents in mountain environments have led to both civil litigation and criminal inquiries when investigators allege negligence in planning, staffing, or failure to follow established mitigation steps. Local search-and-rescue teams, county sheriffs and state agencies typically coordinate recovery and post-incident reviews in such cases.
Main event
The group was returning to or near the Frog Lake huts on the final day of a three-day program when an avalanche swept through part of the party near Castle Peak, officials said. Responders reached the scene and recovered eight bodies; a ninth person remained unaccounted for and was presumed dead. Six other people from the trip were found alive and evacuated, including one additional employee of Blackbird Mountain Guides.
Cal‑OSHA announced it had opened an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides to determine whether workplace-safety rules were followed during the guided trip. Separately, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said it had launched a preliminary probe to assess whether criminal negligence could be alleged; the sheriff’s spokeswoman cautioned that the inquiry was at an early stage and that any decision about charges would follow further investigation.
On-site conditions, including slope aspect, recent weather or specific actions taken by guides, have not been publicly confirmed by investigators. Authorities have described the inquiry as multi-agency and ongoing, and recovery teams have continued to examine avalanche debris and interview survivors to establish a timeline and identify potential decision points that preceded the slide.
Analysis & implications
The presence of three professional guides among those killed complicates immediate attribution of fault. Guiding organizations are generally expected to make conservative route choices and implement layered safety measures — such as avalanche forecasting, transceiver checks, group spacing and contingency planning — but even experienced professionals can be overcome by rapidly changing conditions or complex snowpack weaknesses. An investigation will look at whether industry best practices were followed and whether any lapses in training, staffing ratios or client management contributed to the outcome.
Cal‑OSHA’s involvement signals that investigators will consider employer-level factors: hiring, training records, safety briefings, equipment provision and whether guides adhered to internal protocols. If regulators find violations of workplace-safety statutes, the company could face administrative penalties; a criminal finding would require evidence of gross negligence or willful misconduct in planning or executing the trip. The legal threshold for criminal liability is higher than for regulatory infractions, and prosecutors typically seek clear evidence that standard precautions were knowingly disregarded.
The broader industry impact could be significant. A confirmed lapse by a commercial operator would likely prompt closer scrutiny of permitting, insurance requirements and the scope of oversight for guided backcountry travel in California. Operators may respond with stricter pre-trip screening, smaller group sizes, more conservative route selection, or enhanced documentation of decision-making to limit liability and restore client trust. Conversely, if the slide appears to have been an unforeseeable natural event despite reasonable safeguards, the sector may emphasize the limits of risk mitigation in dynamic mountain environments.
Comparison & data
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Party size | 15 |
| Confirmed dead | 8 |
| Missing (presumed dead) | 1 |
| Rescued | 6 |
| Guides among dead | 3 |
| Clients among dead | 6 |
The table above summarizes official counts released by investigators: 15 people were part of the party, nine are dead or missing and six were rescued. Those figures frame the scope of both the rescue operation and the ensuing probes, and they will be central to reviews of group decision-making, staffing and whether the guides were operating under commercial standards during the trip.
Reactions & quotes
Officials have emphasized the preliminary nature of the inquiries and the need for careful factual work before drawing conclusions.
“It is a standard investigation. It is too early to know if criminal charges will be applicable, as the investigation is preliminary and remains active and ongoing.”
Ashley Cuadros, spokeswoman, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office
State workplace regulators framed their role as an employer-safety review rather than a criminal inquiry, while local authorities retained responsibility for any prosecutorial decisions.
“Cal‑OSHA has opened an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides to assess compliance with workplace-safety requirements for commercial guiding operations.”
Cal‑OSHA (official statement)
Unconfirmed
- Whether a specific decision by a guide or client triggered the avalanche remains unconfirmed; investigators have not publicly identified a trigger or precise slope conditions.
- There has been no public determination that Blackbird Mountain Guides violated safety protocols or that any individual acted with criminal negligence.
- Details about rescue response times, radio communications or exact equipment used by the party have not been released and remain under review.
Bottom line
This tragedy highlights both the inherent hazards of backcountry travel and the complex question of accountability when commercial guiding is involved. The presence of multiple professional guides among the dead raises hard questions about whether standard safeguards were possible under the day’s conditions, whether they were followed, and how much risk can be managed in fast-changing alpine environments.
Investigations by Cal‑OSHA and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office will aim to separate fact from speculation: regulatory reviewers will assess employer practices and documentation, while criminal investigators will look for evidence of gross negligence. Until those inquiries conclude, public statements about fault or motive should be treated cautiously; families, operators and the broader guiding community will look to official findings to determine lessons and any changes in industry practice.
Sources
- The New York Times — news report on the avalanche and initial investigations.
- California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal‑OSHA) — official agency overseeing workplace-safety investigations in California.
- Nevada County official website — county government site including sheriff’s office communications.