\n \u201cWe are doing what we can to support the families who lost so much, and the members of our team who lost treasured friends and colleagues,\u201d the statement said. Five clients and one guide survived the avalanche, company added.\n <\/p>\n
\n Multiple people associated with the Sugar Bowl Academy, a private school and US Ski and Snowboard club, were killed, the school said in a statement<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cMultiple members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community and others with strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit, and the backcountry community died in an avalanche on Tuesday,\u201d the statement said, noting the academy is not sharing the names of any victims and survivors \u201cout of respect for the families affected.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us. The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is,\u201d Stephen McMahon, executive director of the Sugar Bowl Academy said.\n <\/p>\n \n The spouse of a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member is also among the dead, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said, adding it\u2019s hitting the team hard.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThis has not only been challenging for our community, it\u2019s been a challenging rescue, but it\u2019s also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n Recovery efforts Wednesday evening were still hampered by \u201creally horrific conditions,\u201d Moon told CNN\u2019s Anderson Cooper.\n <\/p>\n \n The skiers, who are from multiple states, were on the final stretch of the trip and were returning to the trailhead Tuesday morning when a wave of ice, rocks and debris came crashing down on them.\n <\/p>\n \n The avalanche spanned about a football field\u2019s length of the mountain, according to Chris Feutrier, USDA forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest.\n <\/p>\n \n It was classified<\/a> as a D2.5 on a five-level scale that measures the destructive potential of moving avalanche debris, according to Moon.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cA two would bury a person. A three would bury a house, and it\u2019s right in the middle of those two,\u201d Moon told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n Some of the survivors, who are four men and two women, said they were trying to go out as a group when someone saw the deluge of snow and yelled, \u201cavalanche,\u201d Greene said. One of the guides was among the survivors, the sheriff said.\n <\/p>\n \n The disaster at Castle Peak set off a dangerous, hourslong rescue effort hampered by whiteout conditions and strong winds from the winter storm roaring through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains. NOAA\u2019s Weather Prediction Center said 3-4 inches of snow an hour was possible Tuesday.\n <\/p>\n \n Emergency crews received reports of the avalanche around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and about 50 rescuers were deployed, Moon said.\n <\/p>\n \n The six survivors were rescued 11 hours later.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cEight of the nine additional skiers have been located deceased. We are still looking for one of the members at this time. Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier,\u201d Moon said.\n <\/p>\n \n The victims\u2019 bodies were found \u201cfairly close together,\u201d Greene said.\n <\/p>\n \n The area was under the second highest level, a 4 of 5, of an avalanche threat Tuesday. An avalanche warning was in effect for the greater Lake Tahoe area through 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cNatural avalanches are likely, and human-triggered avalanches large enough to bury or injure people are very likely,\u201d the National Weather Service warned<\/a>. \u201cTraveling in, near, or below backcountry avalanche terrain is not recommended during high avalanche danger.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Remote, undeveloped and isolated areas of wilderness are often called \u201cbackcountry.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the trip, recognized the danger as well, posting a reel on Facebook<\/a> on Sunday about the snow conditions. \u201cThis weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!\u201d it said, adding, \u201cPay close attention to places where faceting has been particularly strong \u2014 avalanches could behave abnormally, and the hazard could last longer than normal \u2026 use extra caution this week!\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Early Sunday, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch, indicating large avalanches were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours, The Associated Press reported<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The watch was increased to a warning hours before the avalanche hit, and it\u2019s unknown whether the guides knew about the warning before they took off, the AP reported.\n <\/p>\n \n When asked about the decision to proceed with the trip, Moon said it was up to the company.\n <\/p>\n \n All of the Blackbird guides were American Mountain Guides Association trained or certified in backcountry skiiing, as well as being certified instructors by the American Institute for Avalanche Research, the company said in a statement.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe\u2019re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made, but definitely a heat for everyone,\u201d she said. \u201cSo recognizing it\u2019s not just you \u2014 that you\u2019re impacting the potential for resources getting deployed somewhere else.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Snow blankets the roads, ground and treetops in video of the area released by the California Highway Patrol<\/a>. The video warns drivers not to be fooled by the clear sky \u2014 the roads remain \u201ccovered in ice, cold, and slick.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Blackbird Mountain Guides updated the number in the group to 11 clients and four guides after initially saying there were 16 people on the trip. But only 11 of the 12 planned guests ended up going, Moon said Wednesday \u2013 one had backed out at the last minute.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe leadership team at Blackbird Mountain Guides remains fully engaged in assisting the Search and Rescue efforts on the ground as we navigate this incredibly difficult situation alongside those involved,\u201d the tour company said<\/a> late Tuesday.\n <\/p>\n \n California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the incident a \u201chorrible tragedy\u201d in a statement on X<\/a> Wednesday.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe mourn this profound loss,\u201d the governor said.\n <\/p>\n \n On its website<\/a>, the company advertises the ski trip to the Frog Lake huts for those with an intermediate to advanced skill level.\n <\/p>\n \n Skiers navigate the mountain off-trail through steep terrain with the aid of guides, before returning to the huts for dinner, the company says.\n <\/p>\n \n The 9,110-foot Castle Peak is a popular backcountry skiing destination, according to The Associated Press. The huts are near Donner Summit in \u201ctruly rugged, wild terrain<\/a>\u201d \u2013 an area that before 2020 was closed to the public for nearly a century.\n <\/p>\n \n Following the first call for help Tuesday, dozens of first responders approached the scene from multiple directions: Search and rescue teams staged at Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner\u2019s Alder Creek Adventure Center, where they were dispatched along with rescue crews from surrounding counties. They approached the scene on skis and snowcats<\/a>, with snowmobiles on standby.\n <\/p>\n![\"Snow](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771581399_302_ap26048792325401.jpg\")
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