The avalanche that killed at least eight skiers this week was one of the deadliest backcountry incidents in U.S. history. Four guides were traveling with 11 clients, returning from a hut trip near Frog Lake, when a gigantic slab released from an adjacent mountainside and buried them. Six were rescued, two of whom were rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Eight were later confirmed dead, and one remains missing.
There have been no updates since Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon briefed the public in a news conference on Wednesday. However, the entire area of the Tahoe National Forest near Castle Peak has been closed following this incident. As the investigation into what happened unfolds, the identities of the victims are being released, and Blackbird Mountain Guides is under scrutiny for criminal negligence.
Six of the victims have been identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt, a spokesperson representing the families told the San Francisco Chronicle. They were all mothers and wives who were passionate about the outdoors and skiing. Reports indicate that the women were between the ages of 40 and 50 years old.
The three remaining victims were guides, whose identities have not yet been released.
Massive Avalanche & Questions of Criminal Negligence
The storm that created the conditions for this avalanche deposited 7 feet of snow in the area over the 3 days these skiers and their guides were at the hut. The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning 2 days before the deadly incident, and another the same morning. They warned of “HIGH avalanche danger” in the area and of the risk of large avalanches.
On Thursday, Sheriff Moon acknowledged that officials were examining the decision-making process that led to these skiers’ deaths. California’s Division of Occupational Safety is also investigating Blackbird Mountain Guides for potential criminal negligence, according to CBS News. Throughout the search, rescue, and recovery efforts, Moon said Blackbird Mountain Guides has been extremely cooperative.
Severe weather has continued in the area since this incident, which has held up further recovery efforts. A break in the weather on Wednesday allowed search and rescue teams to recover eight of the missing skiers and confirm their demise. The final missing skier is presumed dead. Moon said she expects the recovery effort to extend into the weekend.
Tahoe National Forest Closed
On Thursday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department (NCSD) posted on its Facebook page, announcing that the United States Forest Service (USFS) had issued a closure of all National Forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area. The closure will be in effect from Feb. 20 to March 15, 2026.
“Due to the current instability of the snowpack and need to prioritize first responder access to the area, members of the public are prohibited from entering the closure area during search and rescue operations,” USFS said in its statement.
Both USFS and NCSD ask that all members of the public respect this closure and recreate elsewhere.
