8 Skiers dead after accidental Avalanche in California!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+ 1
It is a horrible accident and as humans we should feel very sorry for the loss of lives. Yes, it could have been prevented but maybe there is a sense of security when going in a group and people can collectively make a wrong decision? Also, this kind of stuff scares us so much that we start victim-blaming because we feel that it will prevent us from making similar mistakes. We are all reacting to bystander trauma.

Sometimes people make mistakes. A few days ago, DH and I ventured into the mountains even though we were getting snowstorm warnings. We are rational and risk-averse people. We convinced ourselves that we could go for a short drive and come back before the weather became hazardous. So we went for a drive. It was beautiful and hypnotic. I suddenly got very scared that we may get stuck in the mountains because of icy conditions and it would be absolutely humiliating if we would have to be rescued. Guess what? Forget being rescued, no one even knew where we were or where we were going. If we would have gone missing, no one would even have known that we were missing forget about rescuing us for days. We turned back. After seeing this horrible news, I will never take such risks ever again.

Like the Kim family years ago in the PNW.

Yup. You have zero idea how quickly things can go horribly wrong.

When a high level chance of extreme weather is predicted a week in advance, only risk takers ignore earthquake, avalanche, and hurricane warnings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Prejudice to think middle aged moms would have more commonsense than these middle aged women?

Yeah - when you are a parent you have a responsibility not to take unnecessary risks with your life. Not dying is your number one job.

[Anonymous]

There will likely be lawsuits against whatever group agreed to take them out. Hopefully not, but lawsuits usually follow these types of things.

[Anonymous]

More on the skiers who died: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/us/tahoe-avalanche-victims-sisters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NlA.7HpN.sM9PQRxWDldE&smid=url-share

This is very sad. My kids go to summer camp at the rec center from where they are staging part of the rescue/recovery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Prejudice to think middle aged moms would have more commonsense than these middle aged women?

Yeah - when you are a parent you have a responsibility not to take unnecessary risks with your life. Not dying is your number one job.

Plus million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There will likely be lawsuits against whatever group agreed to take them out. Hopefully not, but lawsuits usually follow these types of things.

Sad that these women couldn't read about extreme weather weather forecasts and think for themselves. Of course, attorneys looking for money will file lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Prejudice to think middle aged moms would have more commonsense than these middle aged women?

Yeah - when you are a parent you have a responsibility not to take unnecessary risks with your life. Not dying is your number one job.

Plus million

Affluent risktakers who thought they could beat the weather odds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+ 1
It is a horrible accident and as humans we should feel very sorry for the loss of lives. Yes, it could have been prevented but maybe there is a sense of security when going in a group and people can collectively make a wrong decision? Also, this kind of stuff scares us so much that we start victim-blaming because we feel that it will prevent us from making similar mistakes. We are all reacting to bystander trauma.

Sometimes people make mistakes. A few days ago, DH and I ventured into the mountains even though we were getting snowstorm warnings. We are rational and risk-averse people. We convinced ourselves that we could go for a short drive and come back before the weather became hazardous. So we went for a drive. It was beautiful and hypnotic. I suddenly got very scared that we may get stuck in the mountains because of icy conditions and it would be absolutely humiliating if we would have to be rescued. Guess what? Forget being rescued, no one even knew where we were or where we were going. If we would have gone missing, no one would even have known that we were missing forget about rescuing us for days. We turned back. After seeing this horrible news, I will never take such risks ever again.

Like the Kim family years ago in the PNW.

Yup. You have zero idea how quickly things can go horribly wrong.

When a high level chance of extreme weather is predicted a week in advance, only risk takers ignore earthquake, avalanche, and hurricane warnings. [/quote

+1]

[Anonymous]

Let's go water skiing when a hurricane is coming. What could possibly go wrong?

[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

This has nothing to do with climate. This happens basically every year in serious ski areas (aka NOT east coast)

[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.

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.

Weren’t they staying in furnished cabins - does the outfitter not keep some amount of shelf stable food there specifically for this reason? A few days worth at least?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume it’s because they booked the trip and rescheduling it was hard/expensive for them and/or the company.

Sadly, this was probably a big part of the reason.

People die on the mountains every year (if not this mountain, there are plenty to choose from out west - I grew up in Washington and Mt Rainier claimed lives too on occasion), and out of towners who have a limited window to summit are a common victims because they take more risks.

[Anonymous]

When our daughter was a teen she had a ski jacket made by Rossignol, that came with an alert system embedded in the jacket. The system was called "Recco." Ski rescue personnel could pick up a signal from the jacket in the event the wearer was buried under an avalanche. Trying to say the technology is out there, likely far superior to the technology a decade and more ago.

This is an FYI. Very sad about these women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When our daughter was a teen she had a ski jacket made by Rossignol, that came with an alert system embedded in the jacket. The system was called "Recco." Ski rescue personnel could pick up a signal from the jacket in the event the wearer was buried under an avalanche. Trying to say the technology is out there, likely far superior to the technology a decade and more ago.

This is an FYI. Very sad about these women.

Avalanche beacons (along with shovels and collapsible sticks to dig through the snow) are standard backcountry ski gear. The information available (the were located by their beacons) suggests they were properly outfitted. Gear was not this group's problem. Anyone who needs this PSA should absolutely not be skiing in the backcountry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When our daughter was a teen she had a ski jacket made by Rossignol, that came with an alert system embedded in the jacket. The system was called "Recco." Ski rescue personnel could pick up a signal from the jacket in the event the wearer was buried under an avalanche. Trying to say the technology is out there, likely far superior to the technology a decade and more ago.

This is an FYI. Very sad about these women.

Avalanche beacons (along with shovels and collapsible sticks to dig through the snow) are standard backcountry ski gear. The information available (the were located by their beacons) suggests they were properly outfitted. Gear was not this group's problem. Anyone who needs this PSA should absolutely not be skiing in the backcountry!

Should there not be some kind of body air bag that blows up on contact and fills up with oxygen so that the skier can breathe while waiting to be rescued?