Tragic Discovery at Northstar Ski Resort
A 21-year-old skier reported missing from Northstar California Resort has been found deceased on an expert-level trail, marking the third fatality at the Lake Tahoe area resort this month. The discovery comes just days after a devastating avalanche buried eight mothers alive on a nearby mountain, with recovery efforts severely hampered by continuing treacherous weather conditions.
Missing Skier Located on Advanced Trail
Colin Kang, a 21-year-old from Fremont, California, was last seen near the Martis Camp Express ski lift at approximately noon on Tuesday during his break from work at Northstar California Resort in Truckee. The young man had ventured toward the expert-level Sugar Pine Glade trail before disappearing from sight.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office received a missing person report around 11pm on Wednesday evening after Kang failed to return as expected. Deputies quickly located his vehicle in the Northstar parking lot, confirming he had gone skiing but not returned.
An extensive search operation launched early Thursday morning involved crews from the sheriff's office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, and Northstar ski patrollers. The coordinated effort deployed fifteen experienced skiers, a snowcat vehicle, and two snowmobilers across the challenging terrain.
At approximately 9am Thursday, search teams discovered Kang's body on the advanced Sugar Pine Glade trail. Northstar General Manager Tara Schoedinger expressed profound sorrow in an official statement, saying, "We are heartbroken by this loss. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and loved ones and with the team members who had the privilege of working alongside him."
Third Resort Fatality This Month
Kang's tragic death represents the third fatality at Northstar California Resort during February alone. The area has experienced unusually severe winter storms that have created hazardous conditions across the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Just days earlier on Sunday morning, 53-year-old Stuart McLaughlin from Hillsborough, California, was killed at the resort. This followed the February 12th death of Nicholas Kenworth, a 26-year-old from Los Angeles, who died after an accident on Northstar's Martis trail—another expert-level ski run.
Avalanche Tragedy Claims Eight Mothers
Meanwhile, approximately twenty miles away on Castle Peak mountain, rescue workers continue to face impossible conditions in their attempts to recover the bodies of eight skiers buried by a massive avalanche. The deadly slide occurred Tuesday morning as the group was concluding a three-day ski tour organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides.
A ninth member of that expedition remains missing as of Thursday and is presumed deceased. Six other skiers were rescued hours after the avalanche struck, having had minimal time to react to the sudden disaster.
Captain Russell 'Rusty' Greene of the Nevada County sheriff's office described the terrifying moment, stating, "Someone saw the avalanche, yelled 'Avalanche!' and it overtook them rather quickly." The sheriff's office is now investigating the group's decision to proceed with their trip on Sunday despite forecasts predicting a massive incoming storm.
Avalanche Warnings Ignored
The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch at 6:49am on Tuesday, indicating that large avalanches were likely within the next 24 to 48 hours. This warning was elevated to a full avalanche warning by 5am Tuesday, explicitly stating that avalanches were expected. It remains unclear whether the guides were aware of this escalated warning before beginning their return trek.
Blackbird Mountain Guides announced Wednesday night that they have launched an internal investigation and paused all field operations at least through the weekend. The company emphasized their priority is supporting the victims' families during this devastating time.
According to company founder Zeb Blais, the guides leading the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and also served as instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. Blais explained that while in the field, guides "are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions."
The company acknowledged the ongoing uncertainty, stating, "We don't have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do. In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts."
Victims Remembered
Among those killed in the deadly avalanche were sisters Caroline Sekar, 45, of San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho. Their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times, "They were incredible sisters, mothers, wives and friends. And the idea that they are both gone is, I don't even know how to put it into words."
McAlister revealed that many members of the ski group had maintained friendships since attending Stanford University together, regularly reuniting for annual ski trips over the years. "A lot of the people on that trip were Caroline's friends who used to do this together," he explained. "There's a whole community of people, a lot of whom just lost their lives."
Daily Mail exclusively identified another victim as SiriusXM executive Kate Vitt, 43, a mother of two and Boston College alumnus. It remains uncertain whether Vitt or the sisters had connections to Sugar Bowl Academy, a private ski-focused school in Norden, California, which acknowledged Wednesday that multiple avalanche victims had ties to its community.
A close source told the San Francisco Chronicle that Sugar Bowl families organize an annual parent-led ski trip separate from school activities. In this tragic instance, fathers reportedly skied together on one excursion while their wives embarked on another outing.
Community in Mourning
Alex Alvarez, a Sugar Bowl Academy alumna, emphasized that the tragedy reflected dangerous conditions rather than inadequate skills. "I am pretty surprised that there were people out there backcountry skiing, but I don't think it's a matter of anybody's skill," Alvarez told CBS News. "I think it's more Mother Nature saying, 'Hey, this is a bad time.'"
Alvarez noted the unprecedented scale of the disaster for the Lake Tahoe region, explaining, "We get big avalanches, but it's usually just one or two people. This is really unexpected." The consecutive tragedies have left the tight-knit skiing community reeling as they confront multiple losses during what has become an exceptionally dangerous winter season.
