Ten skiers were buried in a massive avalanche disaster near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday when a colossal slide swept through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The incident occurred around 11:30 am amid heavy snowfall, turning what was meant to be an adventurous outing into a deadly nightmare.
The group, consisting of four guides and 12 clients, was navigating the dangerous slopes of Castle Peak near Truckee, California. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the avalanche struck at an elevation of 8,200 feet. Classified as a severe D2.5 slide, the avalanche was powerful enough to bury or seriously injure anyone caught in its path.
Rescue efforts have been stalled by a brutal storm. Six skiers survived but were forced to shelter in place due to the relentless weather. Nearly 50 first responders have been combing the hazardous terrain in search of the missing ten. A SnoCat rescue team joined the operation, but gale-force winds and heavy snowfall rendered helicopters unusable and slowed ground searches significantly.
Steve Reynaud, an avalanche expert at the Sierra Avalanche Centre, said, “The group started their trek on Sunday and planned to check out Tuesday from Frog Lake Huts, a backcountry lodge. The usual routes toward Castle Peak near Boreal Ski Area are riddled with avalanche dangers.”
The sheriff’s office has warned that the area remains “highly dangerous” with an active avalanche alert through Wednesday. The ongoing storm has dumped up to eight feet of snow over parts of Lake Tahoe. Interstate 80 was shut down for several hours Tuesday morning before reopening with chain controls in place.
Brandon Schwartz, lead avalanche forecaster for Tahoe National Forest, stated bluntly, “It’s particularly dangerous in the backcountry right now. We’re at the peak of the storm.” Many ski resorts have fully or partially shut down, employing avalanche mitigation programs to protect visitors.
Although the group likely carried avalanche probes and shovels, Reynaud warned that it is a desperate race against time. “Survival drops sharply if victims aren’t found within 10 to 15 minutes. When more than one person is buried, recovery becomes much more difficult.” The large-scale rescue operation involves Nevada County Search and Rescue, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, and the Truckee Fire Department.
Backcountry skiers are strongly urged to stay safe and avoid venturing out during extreme avalanche warnings. This tragic incident serves as a grim reminder of nature’s brutal power.
Originally published by UKNIP.
