Rescue crews were trying to reach six backcountry skiers trapped after an avalanche Tuesday in rugged Northern California mountains near Frog Lake in the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, as blizzard conditions complicated the response. The avalanche left 10 other skiers missing, officials said, while the risk of additional slides remained high.
Authorities dispatched search teams to the site after a 911 call at about 11:30 a.m. reported an avalanche with people buried as a powerful winter storm moved through the state. Several hours later, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Quadros said six skiers had been located and that they were being told to shelter in place “as best they can” until rescuers could get to them.
Capt. Russell Greene said authorities were alerted not only by the ski tour company that brought the group to Castle Peak but also by emergency beacons the skiers carried. Greene said the skiers were in communication with officials through those beacons, which can send texts.
Steve Reynaud, a Tahoe National Forest avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center, said the group was on the last day of a three-day backcountry skiing trip. Reynaud said the route required navigating “rugged mountainous terrain” on backcountry skis for up to 4 miles (6.4 kilometers), along with bringing all food and supplies.
Green said rescuers were moving cautiously because triggering more avalanches remained a concern. He said teams had brought in snowcats and had snowmobiles on standby, alongside individuals on skis, adding that reaching the trapped group would be a slow process.
The company leading the trip, Blackbird Mountain Guides, said it was coordinating with authorities on the rescue operation. In a statement on its website, the company said there were 12 clients and four guides in the group.
Central Sierra Nevada forecasters had warned of avalanche danger in the Greater Lake Tahoe region. Brandon Schwartz, Tahoe National Forest lead avalanche forecaster at the Sierra Avalanche Center based in Truckee, said conditions were especially dangerous in the backcountry because the region was “at the height of the storm.” The center issued an avalanche warning for the area starting at 5 a.m. Tuesday, with large slides expected into Wednesday.
The Sierra Avalanche Center said dangerous conditions were driven by rapidly accumulating snowfall building on fragile snowpack layers, combined with gale-force winds. Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were fully or partially closed due to the weather, and the center said resort areas along highways had avalanche mitigation programs and were not expected to face the same level of risk as the backcountry where travel in, near or below avalanche terrain was strongly discouraged.
Castle Peak—described as a popular backcountry skiing destination—reaches 9,110 feet (2,777 meters) and sits in the Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada. The report noted that Donner Summit is named for the Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.
In nearby Soda Springs, the Soda Springs Mountain Resort reported at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours. Forecasters also said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in northern Shasta County, including parts of Interstate 5, and parts of the state’s Pacific Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday.
The storm disrupted roads from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada, with the California Department of Transportation reporting that traffic was temporarily halted on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes. The article also cited the National Avalanche Center, which said 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S. each winter.
Watson reported from San Diego.