8 Skiers dead after accidental Avalanche in California!

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who has a vacation house in Truckee. Overall, it remains to be seen why they decided to go ahead with the trip at all, but the weather was excellent on Sunday when they left. The storm was predicted to get very bad later in the day on Monday and remain heavy through Tuesday. As it turned out, it didn't snow as much as expected Monday night, and Tuesday morning conditions were not that terrible (they got worse later). I could imagine a scenario where they thought it could be worth the risk to go out on Tuesday morning, given that the storm was going to continue through Wednesday.

Avy danger in conditions like we've had is extreme, though, because you layers of unstable snow with fresh snow on top. The risk can last well beyond the storm. I've read on some local subreddits that they were taking a route back that they thought was supposed to be low/no avalanche risk and might have gotten lost...but no one has said where that idea came from.

This is a huge loss for the local community. And I also keep thinking that, depending on who was in that group, there are a lot of Olympians from Truckee (something like 8 this year have ties to Truckee). It is highly likely they know someone involved in this accident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well they were experienced skiers who took this trip before. Maybe it was group think that since they had guides and they knew the area they thought it would be ok. It's just sad.

Stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that they were in the backcountry. Think rugged. Not at a resort where they shut it down when there’s a blizzard and don’t reopen until they’ve done avalanche control.

It’s terribly sad. My heart goes out to their families and friends.

Correct, this was a 3 day trek across raw mountain slopes. I wonder if they even do avalanche control for non-resort areas? I mean they can't do every mountain.

Im a backcountry skier, and we have a vacation home in Truckee. No, they dont do avalanche control in the wilderness. And most resorts were closed Tuesday anyway (we stayed home).

There are a lot of open questions whyb4 experienced guides and 11 people with backcountry experience decided to go out in a storm that was forecast from last week. And after a warm spell which makes avy danger higher due to layered snow conditions.

But right now 8 dead bodies are still out there and another unaccounted for. Truckee is a tiny community. People are reeling.

Probably because 1 of the 11 guests was a lawyer or powerful person that threatened the tour company over canceling their outing.

This is my guess too. There are a lot of pushy people who demand services. There are also adventurers who enjoy taking risks and do things regardless of safety. We see it all the time right? Usually it’s okay, sometime it’s not. These ladies unfortunately showed up on an unlucky day. RIP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But people keep insisting climate change isn’t real. Despite the avalanche of evidence. Pun intended.

All I know is we never had avalanches like this 20 years ago.

That's because they were better taken care of. There are methods to take down accumulated snow before it can become an avalanche. I wonder how this happened when going out with an established guide company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But people keep insisting climate change isn’t real. Despite the avalanche of evidence. Pun intended.

All I know is we never had avalanches like this 20 years ago.

Absolutely not true. You're obviously not someone that skis out west much less does helicopter back country skiing.

Grew up skiing out west. Know people killed in their car from an avalanche 20+ years ago. Daily avalanche control is a thing that's been done for decades. Choosing not to ski during HIGH avalanche warnings is also a thing.

Screw off Colorado has no water moron climate change is real you maga stupid

And while yes they should not have been put in those conditions doesn’t negate climate change is a god damned fact

It is hard to take this seriously when you stupidly can't even write a complete sentence, or even a string of words that make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well they were experienced skiers who took this trip before. Maybe it was group think that since they had guides and they knew the area they thought it would be ok. It's just sad.

Wasn't the avalanche warning issued before they left? If so, irresponsible by all involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well they were experienced skiers who took this trip before. Maybe it was group think that since they had guides and they knew the area they thought it would be ok. It's just sad.

Wasn't the avalanche warning issued before they left? If so, irresponsible by all involved.

When do the lawsuits start?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/blackbirdguides/reel/DUzjaE3j3Jt/

Pretty weird to have the guide so clearly identifying avalanche conditions and not having the group take action to stay safe. So very sad.

Surely, those in the group were intelligent enough to have listened to predicted weather and warnings? So very sad that they didn't.

Creeped me out a bit that the guide seemed not worried and even a little excited at the prospect of an avalanche

[Anonymous]

I looked it up and they left on the day the warning was issued so I am not sure what the specific timeline was on that and if they were aware. Since it was a guided trip they likely trusted the company knew what it was doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there no warning?

Why don't they have some kind of helmet that creates a large balloon of oxygen around them and a beacon that starts emitting signal? Like an airtag or something?

There are some devices that have helped a bit, but it’s more the weight of everything tumbling at you at over 100 miles an hour. You are crushed to deaths before you’d run out of oxygen. NYT has a good interactive story on how avalanches work today.
Sadly someone I went to college with is one of the killed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that they were in the backcountry. Think rugged. Not at a resort where they shut it down when there’s a blizzard and don’t reopen until they’ve done avalanche control.

It’s terribly sad. My heart goes out to their families and friends.

Correct, this was a 3 day trek across raw mountain slopes. I wonder if they even do avalanche control for non-resort areas? I mean they can't do every mountain.

Only because Big Ski doesn't want to spend their corporate profits making the mountains safe.

This was not at all ski resort. It was backcountry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I looked it up and they left on the day the warning was issued so I am not sure what the specific timeline was on that and if they were aware. Since it was a guided trip they likely trusted the company knew what it was doing.

There was a weeks warning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well they were experienced skiers who took this trip before. Maybe it was group think that since they had guides and they knew the area they thought it would be ok. It's just sad.

Wasn't the avalanche warning issued before they left? If so, irresponsible by all involved.

When do the lawsuits start?

I don't know what that would look like. I have never done backcountry skiing like this (I'm not that good) but I do a lot of scuba and the forms you sign basically absolve the company of any responsibility for your health and safety, including death. Participate at your own risk. I'm sure something similar was in place, this wasn't blue run at the resort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm heartbroken for their families but also angry because they didn't just risk their lives but also the lives of the people who went out looking for them. Incredibly irresponsible. I was honestly shocked to learn they were mainly women and mothers. We're usually not the risk takers.

This stood out to me too. Did not expect it to be a group of middle aged moms.

Maybe that’s because prejudice=ignorance

I thought we all learned that in preschool but I guess not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/blackbirdguides/reel/DUzjaE3j3Jt/

Pretty weird to have the guide so clearly identifying avalanche conditions and not having the group take action to stay safe. So very sad.

This season has been tough for Tahoe. Snow is way under seasonal averages, so guides are eager to make some money and skiers are very eager to get their turns in fresh powder.

The cabins are in the wilderness and high end accommodations at Frog Lake: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EjfBMDnEXxeQJC8X6

You sleep and have hot meals in these nice modern cabins. Then do guided touring in the surrounding mountains.

Likely this group was all advanced skiers, so they figured that they could handle a few days of skiing and then make it out. From what I saw on Reddit, it sounds like they were taking the normal trail out and just got hit by a random avalanche. Wrong place, wrong time. If they truly ran out of food, then I can understand the desire to leave.