Tragic Ski Trip: Fatal Descent Highlights Mountain Safety Concerns

Enthusiastic adventurers had eagerly prepared for an exhilarating escapade in California’s mountains—a three-day backcountry skiing journey through pristine snow, complete with cozy nights in secluded lodges, all for a price of $1,300 each.

However, foreboding signs emerged on Sunday for the group of 16 skiers who were set to navigate the trails near Donner Pass. This location is infamous for a tragic expedition nearly two centuries ago that ended in starvation, death, and cannibalism.

As a precaution, one of the skiers withdrew at the last moment. Experienced mountain guides noticed indicators of potential avalanches, and the weather forecast warned of a relentless snowstorm approaching the Sierra Nevada.

Despite these warnings, 15 skiers continued their journey undeterred, stepping into what would become the deadliest avalanche in California’s recent history.

Tragically, at least eight participants from the Blackbird Mountain Guides expedition lost their lives in the catastrophic snowslide that occurred Tuesday, just north of Lake Tahoe. A ninth skier remains missing and is “presumed deceased,” according to Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon, who spoke during a news conference held 24 hours after the tragic event.

Another six skiers hit by the avalanche were rescued after a nightmarish bivouac in makeshift shelters on the mountain, authorities said. 

The events leading to the tragedy – including the guide company’s decisions – are still being probed, Moon said.

“Those are the decisions that the guide company clearly had made,” she said.

“We’re still in conversations with them on the decision factors.”

Blackbird Mountain Guides, a Truckee-based company, was founded in 2020 and catered to a rugged, if somewhat well-heeled clientele willing to pay up to $625 for private tours in the backcountry.

The group was staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak – which could cost roughly $1,300 a night according to the company’s website.

The four guides and 11 skiers bounded around the trails starting Sunday, a statement from the company confirmed.

While the group gallivanted, Blackbird’s guides appeared aware of potentially dangerous conditions brewing – as seen in an eerily prophetic video posted Monday on the company’s Instagram.

The post warned of an incoming “BIG storm” and featured a guide sifting through the snow.

“This weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!” the captain read.

One day later, the 15 skiers tramped near the Castle Peak trailhead at roughly 8,200 feet when a huge avalanche roughly the size of a football swept down the mountain around 11:30 a.m., officials said.

The horrific snow slip slammed into the party, consisting of nine women and six men, Moon said.

Avalanches are measured by destructive size on a scale of 1 to 5.

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Tuesday’s avalanche stood at 2.5 on that scale, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Amid the chilly chaos, five skiers and one guide managed to survive – all between 30 and 55 years old. They huddled under tarps as makeshift shelters as they set off emergency beacons and corresponded with first responders using the iPhone’s SOS feature, Moon said.

Rescuers scrambled to reach the group, but were hindered by white-out conditions and nearly 2 feet of falling snow, the sheriff said. It took until 5:30 p.m. before rescuers finally found them, she said.

“Two of the six were not mobile,” Moon said. “They could not walk because of the injuries they sustained during the avalanche, and we were able to safely get them the 2 miles from that location to the snowcat and four others were able to get to the snowcat themselves.”

One of the injured skiers remained at a hospital Wednesday, while the other has been released, Moon said.

Eight skiers were found dead, with another presumed deceased, but rescuers had been unable to get their bodies off the mountain.

“The weather is a factor, it’s not a resource issue as we speak,” Moon said, pointing to the ongoing avalanche conditions.

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Blackbird quickly found itself under widespread scrutiny as it led the historically deadly expedition, especially after the Instagram video indicated the company’s guides were aware of dangerous conditions.

“Leading people to their deaths,” one commenter posted under the video after the tragedy.

“It is irresponsible to take people into the backcountry knowing the biggest storm set of the year is coming in hot and heavy,” another user posted. 

One comment even arrived before a day before the avalanche struck — and warned of snowy peril.

“Big danger with the big storm,” a user posted on Monday.

Representatives for Blackbird Mountain Guides didn’t return requests for comment.

“We are currently focused on dealing with an incident in the Lake Tahoe area,” an automated text message from the company stated.

“The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office has informed Blackbird Mountain Guides they will be taking the lead on all direct communications and status updates from this point to ensure families rapidly receive the most current details,” a previous statement from the company read.