Backcountry ski trip hit by avalanche led by tour outfit offering mountain adventures globally
The group of 15 was on a three-day hike organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides in the wilderness backcountry near Frog Lake in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe.
Skiers carried their own food and spent the night in shelters at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters).
“If you’ve booked Frog Lake Huts in Truckee, trust our guides to take your trip to the next level,” the company said on its website, announcing the trip. “We will enter and exit huts, manage risks and find the best terrain and snow quality for you and your group!
On Tuesday, the group was trapped by an avalanche. Six skiers were rescued after sheltering in place for hours as crews battled the blizzard. Nine remain missing.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement that it was coordinating the rescue operation with authorities.
The group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.
The company, with offices in California and Washington state, offers mountaineering and cross-country skiing trips on the West Coast of the United States as well as in Europe and Japan. The tour organization also offers safety courses such as wilderness skills and first aid.
The rugged terrain lacking skiers had been closed to the public for a century before the Truckee Donner Land Trust purchased it and opened the cabins, which are equipped with basic accommodations such as sleeping pads, gas stoves and flush toilets.
The tour was designed for intermediate to expert skiers who should be willing to climb up to 2,500 vertical feet (760 meters) over the course of a day, according to the company’s website. Guides carry first aid kits and human waste disposal “go bags,” but participants must bring their own ski gear and avalanche gear, including a beacon, shovel and probe.
“Typically, our guides are able to find excellent snow conditions in the backcountry, but we often have to navigate through difficult conditions to access the goods,” the website description states. “This requires riders to master their backcountry hiking skills and have a solid hiking foundation before the trip.”
An avalanche warning was issued Sunday morning as a powerful winter storm barreled through the state. The Sierra Avalanche Center issued a more severe avalanche warning for the central Sierra Nevada, including the Great Lake Tahoe region, beginning at 5 a.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow expected through Wednesday.
The rapid accumulation of snow on the weak layers of the snowpack, as well as the strong winds, contributed to dangerous conditions.
The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche occurred, recorded at least 30 inches of snow over a 24-hour period, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Station.
