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.
“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
