Eight backcountry skiers are dead and one remains missing after an avalanche struck a guided group near Castle Peak in California’s Sierra Nevada on Tuesday, making it the deadliest avalanche in the United States since 1981.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announced Wednesday that authorities have transitioned from rescue to recovery. The missing skier is presumed dead given subfreezing temperatures and gale force winds that continue to hamper search efforts.
“Someone saw the avalanche, yelled avalanche, and it overtook them rather quickly,” Capt. Russell Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office told the Associated Press.
The group of 15 skiers was on the final day of a three-day trip organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. Four guides and 11 clients had been staying at Frog Lake huts since Sunday and were returning to the trailhead when the avalanche hit around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. One participant had pulled out of the trip at the last minute, Moon said.
Six survivors were rescued Tuesday evening after sheltering in a makeshift refuge constructed partly from tarpaulin sheets. Five were clients and one was a guide. The survivors ranged in age from 30 to 55 and included four men and two women. Two required hospitalization for injuries sustained during the avalanche.
While waiting for rescue, the survivors located three of the deceased skiers. First responders later found five additional bodies but were unable to transport them due to extreme weather conditions. The victims include seven women and two men.
Rescuers used a snowcat to travel within two miles of the survivors before skiing the remaining distance to avoid triggering another avalanche. Nearly 100 first responders participated in the search effort, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Warning Issued Before Avalanche
The Sierra Avalanche Center posted a high avalanche danger alert before dawn on Tuesday. Three to six feet of snow has fallen since Sunday, and the warning remains in effect. Brandon Schwartz, a Tahoe National Forest avalanche forecaster, told the Associated Press that conditions remain particularly dangerous in the backcountry.
Greene questioned the decision to proceed with the expedition given the forecast. “I don’t think it was a wise choice,” he told the Associated Press. “But we don’t know all the details yet.”
The avalanche is the deadliest in the United States since 11 climbers died on Mount Rainier in Washington in 1981. It is also the deadliest avalanche in California’s recorded history.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said it is cooperating fully with authorities. Moon said investigators will examine the decision to proceed with the trip despite the severe weather forecast.
This was the second fatal avalanche near Castle Peak this year. A snowmobiler was killed in the same area in January.
