Fresh powder. No lift lines. A luxe cabin. And a getaway with friends.
That’s the recipe that apparently lured 15 skiers into the backcountry northwest of Lake Tahoe, where at least eight of the group died in a catastrophic avalanche, the deadliest in modern California history.
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The Truckee-based outfit that provided guides for the expedition has not yet explained why it went ahead with the outing, which ended tragically Tuesday, after forecasters predicted a massive snow dump that would bring treacherous conditions throughout the Sierra Nevada.
Veteran reporter Jack Dolan has been on the story for The Times, delivering a thorough and wrenching account that one reader said provided an elevated “understanding of the details of high-mountain situations.” Why? Because Dolan is not only a crackerjack journalist, but also a committed outdoorsman who kitesurfs, climbs mountains, started skiing when he was 10 and ventured on his own backcountry ski trip near Mammoth just last year.
A veteran outdoorsman talks about the avalanche risks
Essential California talked to Jack about the tragedy that unfolded just north of Donner Lake, where members of the Donner Party died in the freezing winter of 1846-47.
This storm couldn’t have caught these skiers by surprise, could it?
Dolan: The storm had been forecast for nearly a week. The prediction was 5 feet of snow and that’s about what they got. In spite of that, they elected to send four guides and 11 clients out into the backcountry, in a place that is known for its avalanche risk.
What do we know about the guide service and the people they took with them?
Dolan: Blackbird Mountain Guides is well known. They even teach avalanche safety courses. We don’t know yet who the individual guides were or who the clients were, or their levels of experience. [Blackbird did not respond to a request for comment.]
What was the plan for this trip?
Dolan: It was going to be a three-day excursion, with them coming out Tuesday morning. There was several feet of very fresh, unstable snow on the extremely steep slopes above them.
Some high-country regulars are hammering the guides for going out in those conditions. What do you think?
Dolan: There is a lot we don’t know. The last thing we want to do is blame victims, clearly none of them wanted this. But even the local sheriff who led the rescue operation said she’s trying to figure out why they chose to go out in those conditions. We’ll probably understand better when we learn more about the clients. Were they exceptionally experienced? Were they so hungry for fresh powder, then clamored to go despite the forecast?
You skied the backcountry with a guide last year. Would you have gone out after a huge snowfall in a place like this?
Dolan: I 100% would not have gone. We learned that one person apparently did back out of this trip at the last minute. We don’t know if that was over concerns about the weather or just, you know, their kid had a soccer game or whatever. For me and for people who have been in one of these massive storms in the Sierra, well … I love skiing. I love being out in the winter. I love the backcountry, but I would have rescheduled that trip.
Today’s top stories 
Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks Wednesday night at the Wiltern at the formal kickoff of the campaign for the California billionaires tax.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Billionaires tax campaignSen. Bernie Sanders formally kicked off the campaign to place a billionaires tax on the November ballot, and had some choice words for the “oligarchs.”Amid the proposed 5% wealth tax on California billionaires, the state may be losing two of its most famed residents and generous political donors.A handful of prominent conservatives have already bolted out of California, blaming their departure on the controversial wealth tax measure.Nithya Raman’s entry into mayor’s raceRaman stunned the L.A. political establishment with her defeat of City Councilmember David Ryu in 2020.But after six years at City Hall, she is no longer an outsider. Her late entry into the mayor’s race will make it more difficult for her to get endorsements and raise money.Off-roading in the Mojave DesertA federal judge ordered the Bureau of Land Management to close off-road vehicle trails that cut through a tortoise habitat in the western Mojave Desert.The ruling follows years of legal battles between environmental groups and the bureau.There is fierce resistance to the decision among Californians who recreate in the area, and the small businesses they support.Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappingThe kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie is the subject of a sprawling investigation involving local and federal agents.But there is a second, shadow effort occurring on podcasts and social media platforms.Online, true crime fanatics have parsed through information about the case — filling in the limited details with rumor, innuendo and sometimes downright conspiracy.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must readsOther must readsFor your downtime 
Reporter Shelby Hartman floats on a “zero body dry float” tank at Quantum Wellness Spa.
(Dania Maxwell / For The Times)
Going outStaying inA question for you: Snow is pummeling California’s mountains. Got a picture? Send it our way.
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … from our archives 
Director John Singleton reflects 20 years later on his seminal film, “Boyz in the Hood,” at a recording studio in Hollywood on July 20, 2011.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
On Feb. 19, 1992, screenwriter and director John Singleton became the youngest and first Black film director nominated for an Academy Award for his movie, “Boyz n the Hood.”
After Singleton’s death in April 2019, former Times staff writer Gerrick D. Kennedy wrote about how “Boyz n the Hood” shaped the life of one boy from the hood.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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