Eight back-country skiers have perished and one remains unaccounted for after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, California, marking the deadliest avalanche event in the United States in more than four decades, authorities say. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told reporters that families had been informed the operation had shifted from rescue to recovery.
Rescue teams have faced brutal conditions while searching for the missing climbers since Tuesday morning. After a 911 call reporting 15 skiers buried by the avalanche, search-and-rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak region of the Sierra Nevada. Six people from the group were found alive.
The survivors were rescued after hours of careful searching; two of them were hospitalized for treatment, according to Ashley Quadros, spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Heavy snowfall and the ongoing risk of further avalanches have hampered the search in the mountains near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe.
The area around Donner Summit is among the snowiest regions in the Western Hemisphere. It typically receives almost 10 meters of snow annually, a fact noted by the Truckee Donner Land Trust, which operates a cluster of huts near Frog Lake where the group had been staying.
The Sierra Avalanche Center warned on Wednesday that avalanche danger remained high and advised people to avoid travel in the area. The center cited several days of heavy snow and vicious winds that have left the snowpack unstable and unpredictable, with more snow forecast.
Nevada County Sheriff Captain Russell Greene said authorities were alerted to the avalanche by Blackbird Mountain Guides, the expedition leader, using the skiers’ emergency beacons.
The sheriff’s office clarified that 15 back-country skiers were on the trek, not 16 as initially reported.
Think about this: extreme weather zones like this can flip from pristine adventure to life-threatening danger within hours. And this is the part most people miss—how quickly conditions on a single mountain can change, turning a planned three-day trek into a race against nature. How should recreational explorers balance the thrill of back-country exploration with the realities of avalanche risk and limited rescue options? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
