TRUCKEE, CA — After days of increasingly harsh conditions in California’s Sierra Nevada, a group of 15 backcountry skiers set out for their homes. But as they left remote huts thousands of feet above and headed back toward the trailhead, they were hit hard. The treacherous collapse Which left eight dead and one missing.
With avalanche warnings in effect until early Thursday, officials were still waiting Strong storm to clear it so they can recover the bodies of victims of Tuesday’s avalanche, the country’s deadliest in nearly half a century. Officials have not announced the names yet.
The ski group in question has deep ties to Lake Tahoe’s alpine recreation community, including the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, which issued a statement late Wednesday mourning the loss of the victims with “strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit and the backcountry community.”
He did not say how the skiers, said to be between 30 and 55 years old, were connected to the school, which offers academic alpine and backcountry skiing instruction to young athletes.
“We are an incredibly close and connected community,” Stephen McMahon, executive director of Sugar Bowl Academy, was quoted in the statement as saying. “This tragedy has affected every one of us.”
Four in the group were mentors from Blackbeard Mountain Guideswhich offers mountaineering and backcountry skiing trips as well as safety training courses throughout the West and internationally. One of them was among the six survivors.
The three-day tour, which began Sunday, was intended for intermediate to expert skiers, according to the company’s website.
The tour company said in a statement on Wednesday night that it had launched an investigation and had halted field operations at least temporarily over the weekend while prioritizing support for the victims’ families.
The company guides who led the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and were also instructors with the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education.
While in the field, they are “in touch with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and provide guidance based on the circumstances,” founder Zeb Bliss said in the statement.
“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do,” the company said. “In the meantime, please keep those affected in your hearts.”
Mayor Max Perry of Mill Valley in Marin County, a small city about 14 miles (22 kilometers) north of San Francisco, confirmed that some of the group were women from his city. He could not provide additional details but told The Associated Press via email that more information would be released later.
The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning Sunday morning, and it was raised to warning level by 5 a.m. Tuesday, indicating avalanches were expected. It is not clear whether the guides were aware of the change before they began their return journey.
Authorities described a horrific scene as survivors searched in the snow for the missing and waited six hours for help to arrive in blizzard conditions. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said they found three bodies.
All of the skiers had beacons that could send signals to rescuers, and at least one guide was able to send text messages. But it wasn’t clear whether they were wearing avalanche bags, inflatable devices that can keep skiers near the surface, Capt. Russell “Rusty” Green said.
Moon said one of those rescued remained in hospital on Wednesday.
Three to six feet (91 cm to 1.8 metres) of snow has fallen in the area since Sunday. The area was also exposed to sub-zero temperatures and gusty winds.
Avalanche is The deadliest in the United States since 1981when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state, and the second fatal avalanche near Castle Peak this year, after a deadly avalanche. The snowmobile was buried January. Each winter, slides kill 25 to 30 people in the country, according to the National Avalanche Center.
The area near Donner Summit, where the ski trip took place, is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere and was closed to the public until a few years ago. The peak is named after the notorious Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after becoming trapped there in the winter of 1846-47.
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Watson reported from San Diego and Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento contributed.