Eight Skiers Killed in Avalanche Northwest of Lake Tahoe; One Still Missing

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Eight people were killed when an avalanche swept through a guided backcountry skiing party on the California side of the Lake Tahoe region on Tuesday, and a ninth member of the group is missing and presumed dead, authorities said Wednesday.

Six people in the party survived. Officials said the survivors range in age from 30 to 55.

Mission Shifts to Recovery

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told reporters that families of those still unaccounted for had been informed that the operation had moved from rescue to recovery. The bodies of those killed remained on the mountain Wednesday because avalanche danger in the area was still considered high and near-whiteout conditions were hampering searchers.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, whose deputies are assisting, said recovering all of the victims could take time and would depend on a meaningful break in the weather.

End of a Three-Day Trip

According to Blackbird Mountain Guides, which had four guides leading the trip, the group had been staying at backcountry huts at Frog Lake, northwest of Lake Tahoe and north of Donner Summit, since Sunday. The company said the party was returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of the three-day outing when the slide occurred.

The six survivors, one guide and five clients, kept in contact with the sheriff’s office through a satellite text-messaging service. They sheltered in a stand of trees for hours while a search-and-rescue team on skis worked through hazardous avalanche terrain in whiteout conditions to reach them. Moon said the survivors located three of the victims before rescuers arrived. Two of the survivors were injured and had to be carried out by rescue crews.

Community in Mourning

Sugar Bowl Academy, a nearby school that offers alpine and backcountry ski instruction alongside academic courses, said several of the victims were members of its community and others had close ties to it. The academy said it would not identify the victims or survivors out of respect for their families.

The slide came as a powerful winter storm loaded fresh snow onto the Sierra Nevada, sharply raising avalanche risk across the range. Forecasters and public safety officials have urged backcountry travelers to avoid avalanche terrain until conditions stabilize.

Backcountry Risk

Unlike skiing at a resort, where patrol teams use explosives and other control measures to reduce avalanche danger on marked runs, backcountry travel takes place in uncontrolled terrain. Guided groups typically rely on daily avalanche forecasts, snowpack assessments and route choices to manage risk, and members often carry transceivers, probes and shovels for companion rescue.

The incident ranks among the deadliest avalanches in recent U.S. history. Authorities said an investigation into the circumstances of the slide would follow once recovery operations are complete.