Ski Guide Company Issued Avalanche Warnings Day Before Fatal Incident
Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading a backcountry ski trip where at least eight people died in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, had warned about unstable snow conditions – and even attempted to solicit business because of them – just one day before the tragedy occurred.
Social Media Warnings and Business Promotion
On Monday, Blackbird Mountain Guides posted on Instagram to its 7,826 followers, alerting them about a "Big storm incoming!" and highlighting a "particularly weak layer" of snow in the Sierra Mountains. The company cautioned that "Avalanches could behave abnormally, and the hazard could last longer than normal," urging skiers in bold type to "use extra caution this week!"
In what appears to be a now-deleted comment, the company used news of the unstable conditions to promote its preparedness classes, writing, "Come take an avalanche course with us and learn all about it!"
Following the disaster, commenters expressed outrage. "This aged well," one person posted. Another follower, identifying as Donny Dinko, questioned, "Does your avalanche course talk about heading into the mountains in a group of 10 or more people during a storm?"
Lighthearted Tone Amid Serious Risks
The company's Instagram posts at times seemed to make light of the extremely risky avalanche conditions. In one Monday post, they wrote, "Yeah, could be interesting out there. The sky is not falling, but in areas where this layer is well developed and connected across start zones it will be!" They added, "It will be an interesting week!" and "We'll see how it all shakes out. Be careful out there!"
After the avalanche on Tuesday, a commenter responded, "It didn't shake out so well." Another poster, Jason Shulman, wrote critically, "Unreal that you knew how bad the storm would be (hard not to when it's national news) but you didn't get your clients out before hand. You had plenty of time. Then you decided to move during the highest avalanche risk in at least five years. I'm sorry, but you don't deserve to be a guide."
One commenter bluntly stated, "Leading people to their deaths."
Details of the Avalanche and Rescue Efforts
The avalanche occurred around 11:30 AM PST on Tuesday near Perry Peak in the Castle Peak area of Truckee. A group of 15 skiers was swept away, with one backpacker remaining unaccounted for. The group was on a three-day trek into the wilderness at Frog Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon confirmed that nine skiers – seven women and two men aged between 30 and 55 – are presumed dead. The six survivors had located three deceased individuals by themselves before help arrived. Police later located five other bodies.
The victims' identities are being withheld pending family notification, but Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo revealed that one of the skiers killed is the spouse of a search and rescue team member.
Authorities have since informed families that the mission has transitioned from rescue to recovery, according to Sheriff Moon.
Challenging Rescue Operations
Chris Feutrier, supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest, described the avalanche that buried the skiers as the length of a football field. Two different search and rescue teams, comprising roughly 50 people, were deployed from the north and south sides of the mountain.
The six survivors used equipment to shelter themselves and tried to stay warm while waiting for help. Crews on snow cats and skis faced "horrific, whiteout conditions" during their search, including heavy snow and gale force winds that made visibility impossible.
Rescuers reached the location around 5:30 PM and used a snowcat to get within 2 miles of the survivors, then skied in carefully to avoid triggering another avalanche. Of the survivors, four are men and two are women, ages 30 to 55. Two were taken to a hospital for treatment, with one released and the other staying overnight with non-life threatening injuries.
Background and Company Response
The skiers had spent two nights in the Frog Lake Huts, operated by the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and were on the last day of their backcountry skiing trip when the avalanche occurred. The area near Castle Peak requires navigating rugged mountainous terrain, and all food and supplies must be carried to the huts.
Blackbird Mountain Guides stated in a release that the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche happened. "Our thoughts are with the missing individuals, their families, and first responders in the field," the company said on Wednesday, adding that it is assisting authorities in the search.
Ongoing Risks and Historical Context
The Sierra Avalanche Center warned on Wednesday that the risk of avalanche remains high and advised against travel in the area. Multiple feet of snowfall and gale force winds in recent days have left the snowpack unstable and unpredictable, with more snow predicted.
Tuesday's avalanche is the deadliest in the US since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington. That incident involved ten mountain climbers and one guide who died in an avalanche of ice and snow on Ingraham Glacier while ascending to the summit.
