SODA SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Six women killed in the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in decades were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the wilderness of California's Sierra Nevada, their families said Thursday.
Two of the friends got out alive and were rescued along with four others, including one guide, after Tuesday’s avalanche. The three others who are dead or presumed dead were guides.
"We are devastated beyond words," the families said in a statement released through a spokesperson. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.â€
The six killed lived in the Bay Area, Idaho and near Lake Tahoe. They are Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, the families said, asking for privacy as they grieve. They added that they “have many unanswered questions."
The families said the trip was well organized in advance and the women were equipped with avalanche safety equipment.
“They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,†the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip.â€
What the guides and their tour company knew about the warnings and risks from a that blasted the mountains during the trip and why they pressed on is now part of investigations.
It will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies and continue the search for the ninth person, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are on the mountain, but they are not going to be able to safely reach them,†she said Thursday. “The weather conditions are really dangerous.â€
Several more feet of snow could fall around Lake Tahoe on Thursday and continue to destabilize the , according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. It said that wind gusts along the ridgetops could reach 60 mph (100 kph) and warned there's a high risk of large avalanches through at least Friday morning. Tahoe National Forest lands in the Castle Peak area were also closed to the public until March 15.
The names of the other victims have not been released.
Avalanche victims were from a ‘connected community’
The 15 skiers began their three-day trip on Sunday just as warnings about the storm were intensifying. They spent the weekend staying along Frog Lake in high country huts accessible only by challenging trails.
Sekar and Clabaugh were sisters, their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times. Sekar was a mother of two who lived in San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh worked as a new graduate nurse residency program coordinator for St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, according to her LinkedIn page.
Vitt lived in San Francisco and had previously worked at SiriusXM and Pandora, according to her LinkedIn page. The Kentfield School District sent an email to families Wednesday saying that her two sons “are safe and are with their father, Geoff, as they navigate this profound loss," according to The New York Times.
Atkin lived in Lake Tahoe with her husband and two children and was a former corporate executive and Division I Track & Field athlete, according to her leadership coaching website.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who lives in Marin County with his family, said some of his “wife’s old family friends†were on the trip.
“These were some experienced guides that were out there and that’s what’s even more concerning and disturbing,†he said at a news conference Thursday. His office didn’t immediately provide more details.
Some members of the group had ties with the elite Sugar Bowl Academy.
Perched on Donner Summit, the academy is a private boarding and day school for competitive skiers and snowboarders. Its former students include multiple Olympians.
“This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,†Sugar Bowl Academy executive director Stephen McMahon said in the statement.
Mayor Max Perrey of Marin County’s Mill Valley, a city just north of San Francisco, confirmed that some in the group were women from his city.
One of the victims was married to a member of a backcountry search and rescue team in the area, said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.
Sarah Reynaud, an owner of Tahoe Mountain School, had planned to take a trip with her family last weekend to Frog Lake but canceled it due to illness, The Mercury News reported. She described the region's ski community as extremely tight knit and said the avalanche was devastating.
Tour company says guides were highly experienced
The four guides were employed by , which offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips as well as safety courses. The company said in a statement that it launched an investigation and was mourning the loss of three of its guides.
Blackbird’s website says the tour was intended for intermediate to expert skiers.
The guides with the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing, and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. While in the field, they “are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions,†founder Zeb Blais said in the statement.
“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do,†the company said.
“This was an enormous tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced. In addition to mourning the loss of six clients, we also mourn the loss of three highly experienced members of our guide team,†Blais said.
Questions linger about why the trip continued
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities will investigate why the guides proceeded with the tour despite the forecast.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, a state agency that regulates workplace safety, is also investigating to determine if the company violated California law.
The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch Sunday morning, the first day of the trip, indicating a high risk of large avalanches.
It’s not uncommon for backcountry skiers to go out when there is an avalanche watch or even a warning, avalanche safety experts say. In avalanche terrain that covers many backcountry areas, slides occur regularly but often go unnoticed. Even if people have signals to keep up with the forecast and changing conditions, there is no single way to react.
Leaving could set off an avalanche, while staying put could keep people in its path. It wasn’t clear if the guides on the trip were aware of the avalanche warning, but they are trained to test the snow and assess conditions on the ground.
At least one guide was able to send text messages. Two of those rescued were taken to a hospital but both have since been released.
The avalanche is , when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state.
Another deadly avalanche on Wednesday killed a man riding a snowmobile in Utah despite the “courageous efforts†of his young son who dug him out of the snow, the Wasatch County sheriff’s office said. Another avalanche, also in Utah, killed a girl in in Salt Lake County, police told local news.
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Watson reported from San Diego and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana; R.J. Rico in Atlanta; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.
