Final Victims Recovered in Castle Peak Avalanche

by | Feb 21, 2026 | Uncategorized

Feb. 21, TRUCKEE: Criminal Investigation Ongoing

On Saturday, Feb. 21, the final four victims of the Castle Peak avalanche were successfully recovered. The multi-day search-and-rescue operation concluded at 10:58 a.m. when the California National Guard recovered the last deceased.

In total, nine victims were found thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and its mutual aid organizations and volunteers. Included in the operation were Nevada County Search and Rescue, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol and Air Operations, CARE Flight Truckee, Sierra Avalanche Center, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), U.S. Forest Service, California State Parks, Truckee Fire Protection District, Open Snow, Alder Creek Adventure Center in Tahoe Donner, Truckee Tahoe Airport, Boreal Mountain Resort, Truckee Police Department, Town of Truckee, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and California National Guard.

“We are fortunate in this mountain community that we are very tight knit and our community shows up in times of tragedy,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said while thanking the agencies and individuals involved in the search and rescue.

After conducting avalanche mitigation efforts on Feb. 20, teams were able to recover five of the deceased victims as well as locate the final missing person. Prior to highway patrol and PG&E avalanche mitigation, aerial crews had surveyed the area near Perry’s Point to make recommendations for the teams. Perry’s Point sits slightly northwest of Frog Lake on its western ridge, which skiers have to traverse to make their way in and out of the huts on the most common route.

“I want to recognize the strength in the volunteers of all the search and rescue units that our agencies truly rely on,” Moon said. “They are pretty amazing people and it’s an honor to work with them. I want to just make sure everyone knows those are volunteers and when we ask them to leave their houses and help their communities, they do so willingly.”

DANGER ZONE: Avalanche mitigation operations on Feb. 20 were conducted in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric using two helicopters. Crews relied exclusively on water to improve snow stability. Courtesy photo

On Feb. 21, the National Guard and California Highway Patrol recovered the last four through a combination of aerial operations and snowcats driven to Frog Lake. 

The deceased were identified, in alphabetical order:  

Andrew Alissandratos (34) of Verdi, Nevada 

Carrie Atkin (46) of Soda Springs 

Nicole (Nikki) Choo (42) of South Lake Tahoe

Lizabeth (Liz) Clabaugh (52) of Boise, Idaho 

Michael Henry (30) of Soda Springs

Danielle Keatley (44) of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif. 

Kate Morse (45) of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif. 

Carolien Sekar (45) of Soda Springs and San Francisco 

Katherine Vitt (43), of Greenbrea, Calif.. 

Alissandratos, Choo, and Henry were Blackbird Mountain Guides. 

Officials have reported that one of the six survivors is a Blackbird employee. When asked if the surviving guide was owner Zeb Blais, Sheriff Moon today said that information is still being collected. 

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that it was launching an investigation into whether there was criminal negligence. Cal-OSHA announced Thursday that it is investigating the company, according to the Sacramento Bee. Formal interviews for the investigation are still to be conducted, Moon said. She confirmed the group was on day three of a three-day trip and had departed early Tuesday morning in an effort to “get off the mountain early.”

Blackbird founder Blais released a statement on Thursday saying that “all of the guides with the group were AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) trained or certified in backcountry skiing. Each guide was also an instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), the industry standard for avalanche education, and was certified to teach.

“In addition, guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions. There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened. It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway.

“We ask that people following this tragedy refrain from speculating. We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do. In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts.”

One of the survivors remains hospitalized and authorities are withholding survivor names at this time. Moon said out of privacy her office was not communicating with the hospitalized individual until he or she is released. 

Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Haack, the incident commander, said two survivors traveling at the back of the group were not caught in the avalanche. Caretakers at the Frog Lake hut remained when the group departed.

Earlier this week, Forest Service officials announced a closure of the Castle Peak area through March 15. Today, at a press conference at Truckee Town Hall, Tahoe National Forest Supervisor Chris Feutrier said the agency plans to reopen the area when the county concludes its operations. 

“This is the public’s land and they love to recreate on it. The Forest Service doesn’t close public land for every hazard or every obstacle,” he said. “We trust the American people to use their best judgement when recreating.”

~ MP

Helicopters Conduct Aerial Flights

by | Feb 20, 2026 | Uncategorized

Feb. 20, 1:45 p.m.: Search and Rescue Teams Look for Way Forward

Editor’s Note Feb. 20, 3:16 p.m.: The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office determined avalanche mitigation could begin this afternoon.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office has begun conducting aerial flights over the Castle Peak avalanche site. The clear skies are a stark contrast to the initial white-out conditions rescue crews faced, and the aerial flights will allow search and rescue (SAR) teams to determine the extent of possible avalanche mitigation.

Should the teams begin avalanche control with explosives that trigger unstable snow layers to release, they can reduce the risk posed to SAR operations as they plan to recover the remaining eight deceased victims. The additional victim remains unaccounted for. 

“It is our top priority to ensure the safety of first responders during this recovery mission and aid in the return of each victim to their families,” said Tahoe National Forest Supervisor Chris Feutrier in a statement. “Our deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones from this tragic incident. Our sincere appreciation to all first responders, law enforcement, and partners that are supporting this recovery.”

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office will release an update if on-the-ground operations are continued. Presently, the Tahoe National Forest remains closed to the public with the high avalanche danger.

KCRA 3 shared footage from Livecopter 3 as it headed to the site.

~ MR

Tahoe/Truckee Mourns Lives Lost in Castle Peak Avalanche

by | Feb 19, 2026 | Uncategorized

Feb. 19, 5:26 p.m.: Statement Released by Families of Deceased, Vigil Planned

Editor’s Note, Feb. 20: Included photos shared from the families of six of the victims.

The families of Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt — six of the nine victims of the Castle Peak avalanche — released a statement this afternoon.  

We are devastated beyond words. 

Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives, and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors. They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains. They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee/Tahoe region.

We have many unanswered questions, but here is what we know at this time: Eight close friends planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake Huts outside Truckee, California. The trip had been organized well in advance. They 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 profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond.

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.

We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.

A vigil is being held on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. at the eagle statue in downtown Truckee in remembrance of the lives lost in the avalanche. The event will also serve to recognize the impacts from other February tragedies in the area, such as the deaths of three skiers at Northstar California Resort, a vehicle crash into pedestrians at the Truckee Safeway, and a shooting at the town’s Crossroads shopping center. The Church of the Mountains is open to all following the vigil.

VIGIL for Truckee’s recent tragedies to be held Feb. 22. Courtesy photo

“We ask for continued compassion for the families directly affected,” said Town of Truckee Town Manager Jen Callaway in a message, “for our students and young people who may be struggling in ways we cannot always see, and for one another. These events have left an imprint on our town, but they do not define who we are. Truckee is strongest when we lean toward one another with care, empathy, and responsibility.”

The U.S. Forest Service closed National Forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area through March 15 due to snowpack instability and ongoing recovery efforts. 

~MR/AH