UPDATE – Thursday, Feb. 19 at 4:43 pm
In a statement provided to the Sierra Sun, family members of the avalanche victims identified six of the women who were killed:
Carrie Atkin
Liz Clabaugh
Danielle Keatley
Kate Morse
Caroline Sekar
Kate Vitt
“Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women,” the statement reads. “They were all mothers, wives and friends who connected through a shared love of the outdoors. They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished their time together in the mountains. They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee–Tahoe region.”
Family members said they are still grappling with many unanswered questions. However, they shared the following details about the trip:
Eight close friends had planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake Huts outside Truckee. The trip was organized well in advance. According to the statement, the women were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains. They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.
“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement continues. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”
UPDATE – Thursday, Feb. 19 at 11:00 a.m.
Efforts to extract the bodies of avalanche victims from the Castle Peak area will not happen today due hazardous weather, according to The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Recovery efforts are expected to carry into the weekend.
The sheriff’s office is unable to confirm the identifications, ages, affiliations, or cities of origin for the victims until the recovery is completed.
Sugar Bowl Academy announced some of the victims are members of their school.
The mayor of Mill Valley, a small town in Marin County, confirmed with news outlets that some in the group were women from his city, though he did not provide additional details.
UPDATE – Thursday, Feb. 19 at 9:00 a.m.
The six rescued survivors include one male guide, three male clients and two female clients, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
The identities of the survivors and victims have not been released.
Recovery efforts for the bodies are underway, but dependent on weather conditions.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18 at 11:30 a.m.
Eight skiers are dead and one person is still missing, but presumed dead according to this morning’s press conference regarding yesterday’s avalanche.
One of the decedent’s is a spouse to a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member.
“As you can understand this has not only been challenging for our community,” Placer County Sheriff, Wayne Woo said, “…it’s also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization.”
Of the six survivors, four were men and two were women.
The entire tour group consisted of nine women and six men.
After last night’s rescue of the six survivors, the mission has changed to a recovery mission.
However, recovery will depend on the weather the next couple of days, which the rescue team is actively monitoring.
UPDATE – Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 10:40 p.m.
Late Tuesday evening, search and rescue teams successfully rescued the six initially reported skiers who survived the avalanche.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reports the rescue took several hours due to extreme weather conditions. Upon return, Truckee Fire medically evaluated the skiers who had varying injuries. Two were transported to the hospital.
The search for the remaining skiers is ongoing, and may get impacted by weather conditions.
The group was initially believed to be 16 people, but that number has been updated to 15.
Those 15 include skiers and guides who were on a guide trip through Blackbird Mountain Guides. The company issued a statement with information on the situation Tuesday evening.
According to their statement, the group had been on a three-day ski trip and were staying at the Frog Lake huts since Feb. 15.
The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred.
Blackbird Mountain Guides says it is in direct contact with the emergency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates as verified information becomes available.
UPDATE – Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.
10 skiers are still unaccounted for following an avalanche near Castle Peak earlier today. Six skiers have survived and remain at the avalanche site, awaiting rescue. The survivors have been directed to shelter in place.
The group of 16, consisting of four ski guides and 12 clients, encountered the avalanche around 11:30 a.m. today.
Rescue ski teams have departed from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center to make their way to the known survivors. A Snocat team is also on its way to the incident site.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s office says rescue efforts remain in progress now with 46 emergency first responders.
Weather conditions remain highly dangerous.
The Sierra Avalanche Center previously issued an avalanche warning for today, which has been in effect since 5 a.m. today through Feb. 18 at 5 a.m., stating: “HIGH avalanche danger exists in the backcountry. Large avalanches are expected to occur Tuesday, Tuesday night, and into at least early Wednesday morning across backcountry terrain. HIGH avalanche danger might continue through the day on Wednesday.”
ORIGINAL STORY – Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 12:15 p.m.
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. – The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue are responding to the report of an avalanche in the Castle Peak area.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and involved a group of backcountry skiers, several of which are missing, according to the sheriff’s office update.
Details are currently limited. The Sun will provide further updates when details become available.
