Two Sisters Died in Tahoe Area Avalanche During Trek With Friends – The New York Times

Lead

Two sisters, Caroline Sekar, 45, of San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho, were killed in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday at the end of a three-day backcountry skiing trek. The incident occurred on a trail in the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada and struck a close-knit group of friends, many of them Bay Area mothers. Local search-and-rescue teams and community members responded, and families are now mourning the sudden losses. Officials and friends say the event has left several communities reeling and raised renewed questions about backcountry safety.

Key Takeaways

• Two identified victims: Caroline Sekar, 45 (San Francisco), and Liz Clabaugh, 52 (Boise), died in the avalanche on Tuesday at the conclusion of a three-day trek near Castle Peak, Lake Tahoe.
• The victims were part of a tight social circle; several members of the group were described as Bay Area mothers who frequently traveled together for backcountry outings.
• Family statements emphasize that Ms. Sekar had spent more than 20 years with her husband and leaves two children; she had been active in outdoor pursuits with her family.
• Local emergency responders and volunteer search teams were deployed after the avalanche; recovery and scene assessment took place on site.
• The event underscores seasonal avalanche hazards in the Sierra Nevada and has prompted local officials and mountaineering groups to reiterate safety guidance for backcountry travel.

Background

The Sierra Nevada mountain range around Lake Tahoe is a popular destination for weekend and multi-day backcountry skiing and snow travel, particularly for outdoor-oriented communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Winter storms load slopes with new snow and wind-transported slabs, creating avalanche-prone conditions throughout the season. Many recreational groups travel together in small, experienced parties; nevertheless, terrain traps, rapid weather changes and human-triggered avalanches continue to cause fatalities across the range.

Castle Peak and adjacent ridgelines attract backcountry skiers and snowshoers for their alpine terrain and views over the Tahoe basin. Over recent winters, avalanche centers and national-forest managers have issued advisories during periods of elevated risk, and local rescue teams have emphasized training and proper equipment such as transceivers, probes and shovels. Community organizations often run courses and awareness campaigns, but participation and conditions vary by group and by day.

Main Event

The party involved in the fatal incident completed a three-day backcountry skiing trek and was descending or finishing their route near Castle Peak on Tuesday when an avalanche occurred and swept members of the group. Immediate response included calls for help and deployment of local search-and-rescue resources. First responders worked alongside members of the group and volunteers to locate and recover those trapped by the slide.

Among the dead were sisters Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh; both were traveling with close friends at the time. Family members provided statements describing the sisters as active outdoorspeople who frequently shared mountain outings with their community. Recovery and investigation at the site focused on scene safety and determining the avalanche trigger, with investigators documenting slope angle, recent weather and snowpack observations.

Officials have described the scene as complex, with steep terrain and variable snow conditions complicating both rescue and subsequent analysis. Local medical examiners and law-enforcement agencies are handling identification and notifications. Community vigils and informal memorials have been organized as families and friends gather to grieve and to share memories of the victims.

Analysis & Implications

This tragedy highlights the persistent danger of human-triggered avalanches in popular backcountry zones. Even experienced recreational groups can be vulnerable when slopes hold unstable layers or when a route places multiple people within a potential slide path. The loss of multiple members of a single social group intensifies community impact and draws attention to group decision-making under risk.

In the weeks and months after similar incidents, local agencies often expand outreach and training, and avalanche forecast centers may issue targeted warnings. For individuals, standard mitigation includes route selection that limits exposure, spacing between party members, frequent probing of snowpack stability, and carrying and practicing with rescue gear. However, risk cannot be eliminated entirely, and unpredictable factors such as buried weak layers can persist despite precautions.

There are also broader social implications: tightly connected outdoor communities, such as groups of parents who recreate together, can experience outsized collective grief and service needs. Local health providers and volunteer organizations may see an increase in requests for counseling, memorial planning support, and safety education. Finally, media attention on such events can spur short-term policy discussions about trail access, signage and funding for search-and-rescue teams, though concrete changes typically require sustained advocacy.

Comparison & Data

The simple table above summarizes the confirmed identities and basic trip detail published by family and local reporting. While two fatalities are identified by name, reporting indicates others in the party were involved; investigators are distinguishing between those who were directly struck, those who assisted, and those who were not physically harmed. Contextualizing this event with seasonal avalanche advisories can help backcountry users gauge relative risk on any given day.

Reactions & Quotes

Family members described Caroline as joyful and deeply engaged with outdoor life, noting she spent her final days with loved ones in a place she treasured.

Family statement (reported)

Community leaders and friends expressed profound sorrow and highlighted the group’s long-standing habit of traveling together for mountain trips.

Local community representatives

Rescue coordinators noted challenging slope conditions and emphasized that scene safety drives initial response actions in avalanche incidents.

Local search-and-rescue official

Unconfirmed

• The exact number of group members who were injured, displaced or otherwise involved beyond the two named victims has not been fully disclosed by authorities.
• The formal determination of the avalanche’s trigger (natural weather event versus human-trigger) and the precise snowpack failure layer are pending technical analysis.

Bottom Line

The deaths of Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh in a Sierra Nevada avalanche underscore the real and present danger inherent in backcountry winter travel—even for experienced groups. The incident has immediate human cost for families and social networks and also serves as a reminder that mountain conditions demand constant vigilance, conservative decision-making and routine practice of rescue skills.

In the near term, the community will focus on recovery, memorials and support for those affected while investigators complete their field work. Longer-term outcomes may include renewed education efforts, calls for stronger local resources for search-and-rescue, and heightened public attention to avalanche safety before the next winter season.

Sources

• The New York Times — news report summarizing family statements and on-scene reporting (media).