The deadliest avalanche in modern California history has killed eight backcountry skiers near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains above Lake Tahoe, with a ninth person still missing and presumed dead.
Rescue crews recovered the bodies of eight victims Wednesday, but hazardous weather continues to delay full recovery efforts and the search for the remaining skier, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Officials expect operations to extend into the weekend.
The incident occurred Tuesday during the final day of a three-day guided backcountry ski tour organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. Six people were rescued about six hours after the slide.
 |
| Kate Vitt |
Many victims were mothers connected to the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, a competitive ski-focused school near Norden, California, in the Lake Tahoe region. The group appears to have been part of an informal annual parents' ski trip, not officially affiliated with the academy, where fathers and mothers sometimes split into separate excursions. It is unclear if Vitt's sons attended the academy.
The victims included seven women and two men, among them at least some Marin County residents, as confirmed by Mill Valley Mayor Max Perrey. Other names emerging include sisters Caroline Sekar (45, San Francisco) and Liz Clabaugh (52, Boise, Idaho), part of a tight-knit circle of friends, some with Stanford ties.
Police have not officially released most identities pending recovery and family notifications. Vitt, an English major who graduated from Boston College in 2004, was remembered fondly by the school, which offered condolences. She was known for an active, outdoorsy lifestyle, often hiking, skiing, and golfing with her husband, and staying close with extended family.