6 women killed in California avalanche were among 8 close friends and experienced skiers on trip

SODA SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Six women killed successful the deadliest avalanche successful the U.S. successful decades were portion of a close-knit radical of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and understood the dangers of the wilderness of California's Sierra Nevada, their families said Thursday.

Two of the friends got retired live and were rescued on with 4 others, including 1 guide, aft Tuesday's avalanche. A full of 8 radical were killed. One much idiosyncratic is missing and presumed dead.

"We are devastated beyond words," the families said successful a connection released done a spokesperson. “Our absorption close present is supporting our children done this unthinkable calamity and honoring the lives of these bonzer women. They were each mothers, wives and friends, each of whom connected done the emotion of the outdoors.”

The six killed lived successful the Bay Area, Idaho and adjacent Lake Tahoe. They are Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, the families said, asking for privateness arsenic they grieve. They added that they “have galore unanswered questions."

The families said the travel was good organized successful beforehand and the women were equipped with avalanche information equipment.

“They were experienced backcountry skiers who profoundly respected the mountains,” the connection said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry question and trusted their nonrecreational guides connected this trip.”

What the guides and their circuit institution knew astir the warnings and risks from a almighty wintertime tempest that blasted the mountains during the travel and wherefore they pressed connected is present portion of investigations.

It volition beryllium astatine slightest different time earlier crews tin effort to retrieve the bodies and proceed the hunt for the ninth person, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are connected the mountain, but they are not going to beryllium capable to safely scope them,” she said Thursday. “The upwind conditions are truly dangerous.”

Several much feet of snowfall could autumn astir Lake Tahoe connected Thursday and proceed to destabilize the fragile snowpack, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. It said that upwind gusts on the ridgetops could scope 60 mph (100 kph) and warned there's a precocious hazard of ample avalanches done astatine slightest Friday morning. Tahoe National Forest lands successful the Castle Peak country were besides closed to the nationalist until March 15.

The names of the different victims person not been released.

Avalanche victims were from a ‘connected community’

The 15 skiers began their three-day travel connected Sunday conscionable arsenic warnings astir the tempest were intensifying. They spent the play staying on Frog Lake successful precocious state huts accessible lone by challenging trails.

Some person ties with the elite Sugar Bowl Academy.

Perched connected Donner Summit, the academy is simply a backstage boarding and time schoolhouse for competitory skiers and snowboarders. Its erstwhile students see aggregate Olympians.

“This calamity has affected each and each 1 of us,” Sugar Bowl Academy enforcement manager Stephen McMahon said successful the statement.

Mayor Max Perrey of Marin County’s Mill Valley, a metropolis conscionable northbound of San Francisco, confirmed that immoderate successful the radical were women from his city.

One of the victims was joined to a subordinate of a backcountry hunt and rescue squad successful the area, said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.

Tour institution says guides were highly experienced

The 4 guides were employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which offers mountaineering and backcountry skis trips arsenic good arsenic information courses. The institution said successful a connection that it launched an probe and was mourning the nonaccomplishment of 3 of its guides.

Blackbird’s website says the circuit was intended for intermediate to adept skiers.

The guides with the radical were trained oregon certified successful backcountry skiing, and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. While successful the field, they “are successful connection with elder guides astatine our base, to sermon conditions and routing based upon conditions,” laminitis Zeb Blais said successful the statement.

“We don’t person each the answers yet, and it whitethorn beryllium immoderate clip earlier we do,” the institution said.

“This was an tremendous tragedy, and the saddest lawsuit our squad has ever experienced. In summation to mourning the nonaccomplishment of six clients, we besides mourn the nonaccomplishment of 3 highly experienced members of our usher team,” Blais said.

Questions linger astir wherefore the travel continued

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities volition analyse wherefore the guides proceeded with the circuit contempt the forecast.

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, a authorities bureau that regulates workplace safety, is besides investigating to find if the institution violated California law.

The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche ticker Sunday morning, the archetypal time of the trip, indicating a precocious hazard of ample avalanches.

It’s not uncommon for backcountry skiers to spell retired erstwhile determination is an avalanche ticker oregon adjacent a warning, avalanche information experts say. In avalanche terrain that covers galore backcountry areas, slides hap regularly but often spell unnoticed. Even if radical person signals to support up with the forecast and changing conditions, determination is nary azygous mode to react.

Leaving could acceptable disconnected an avalanche, portion staying enactment could support radical successful its path. It wasn’t wide if the guides connected the travel were alert of the avalanche warning, but they are trained to trial the snowfall and measure conditions connected the ground.

At slightest 1 usher was capable to nonstop substance messages. Two of those rescued were taken to a infirmary but some person since been released.

The avalanche is the deadliest successful the U.S. since 1981, erstwhile 11 climbers were killed connected Mount Rainier successful Washington state.

Another deadly avalanche connected Wednesday killed a antheral riding a snowmobile successful Utah contempt the “courageous efforts” of his young lad who dug him retired of the snow, the Wasatch County sheriff’s bureau said. Another avalanche besides successful Utah near a miss successful captious information successful Salt Lake County.

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Watson reported from San Diego, and Golden from Seattle; Associated Press writers John Seewer successful Toledo, Ohio; Matthew Brown successful Billings, Montana; R.J. Rico successful Atlanta; and Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles contributed.

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