Update 10:55 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17:
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office says six backcountry skiers who survived an avalanche Tuesday have been rescued.
Officials said it took search and rescue teams several hours to reach the survivors and transport them to safety due to extreme weather conditions. The six skiers suffered varying injuries, and two were transported to a hospital for treatment.
The survivors had been told to shelter in place at the avalanche site as they were awaiting rescue.
The sheriff’s office said the search for the remaining skiers who were caught in the avalanche is ongoing, pending weather conditions. Officials have revised the total number of people involved in the trip to 15, instead of 16.
A press conference has been scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. to provide updates on the incident.
Originally published 6:42 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17:
Emergency crews from California and Nevada are searching for 10 backcountry skiers following an avalanche in Nevada County.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said it received reports of an avalanche in the Castle Peak area near Truckee around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday that hit a group of 16 skiers, including four guides and 12 clients.
The sheriff’s office says at least six skiers survived and remained at the site to be rescued, while 10 are unaccounted for. Rescue efforts involved 46 emergency first responders, including skilled rescue ski teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center. A SnoCat team was also deployed.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, an outdoor activities company located in Truckee, released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying its guides and clients were involved in the incident, and that it is coordinating with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
The company said the 16 people had been staying at the Frog Lake huts in the Castle Peak area since Feb. 15. “The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred,” the statement read.
Blackbird Mountain Guides says it is in contact with the emergency contacts of the clients and guides, and is providing regular updates. The company did not immediately return a request for comment from CapRadio.
Other responding agencies included Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue, and Truckee Fire.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed the governor had also been briefed on the incident.
Weather conditions
The avalanche report came amid a winter storm dropping heavy snow across the Sierra creating hazardous conditions on roadways and the backcountry.
The Sierra Avalanche Center, which provides forecasts and information for backcountry travel in the region, issued a warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area, including Castle Peak, hours before the avalanche occurred.
Lead forecaster Brandon Schwartz said the area had received two to three feet of snow in the preceding 48 hours, falling at a rate of two to four inches per hour. He said weak layers in the existing snowpack from a dry spell in January and February are adding to the dangers.
Schwartz says understanding the terrain is important to staying safe outdoors. “If you’re traveling entirely in non-avalanche terrain, it’s just impossible to get caught in an avalanche,” he explained.
He added that continued snowfall makes conditions dangerous for anyone accessing the area, including rescuers, and that the “avalanche path is reloading with new snow very rapidly.”
Schwartz urged backcountry travelers to check daily forecasts, and avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees. He also said travelers should carry rescue equipment like a transceiver, shovel and probe.
Previous accidents
Tuesday’s avalanche was not the first time an accident has occurred this year in Nevada County.
An Oregon snowmobiler was killed last month in the area after being caught in an avalanche. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office says 42-year-old Chris Scott Thomason of Bend was part of a group of five experienced snowmobilers traveling from Johnson Canyon to Castle Peak. The group was described as being well-equipped for the backcountry, and carried protective equipment and avalanche beacons.
The sheriff’s office says the avalanche was triggered on the backside of the mountain as the group returned from Castle Peak, burying Thomason. The group tracked Thomason’s beacon and dug him out, but the 42-year-old died of his injuries despite receiving CPR.
This is a developing story. CapRadio will continue to update as more information becomes available.
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