Rescue efforts continue Tuesday in Northern California after at least ten backcountry skiers were reported missing following a massive avalanche. Authorities rescued a total of six skiers who were stranded after an avalanche hit Castle Peak, a popular backcountry ski resort northwest of Lake Tahoe.
Fox 11, citing authorities, reported that the group consisted of four ski guides and 12 clients. The avalanche is believed to have hit around 11:30 a.m. local time and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call.
‘Liquid Situation’
Ashley Quadros, spokeswoman for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, said the rescue team, which also included personnel from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Nevada County Search and Rescue, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue and Truckee to the fire. Trained rescue ski teams from nearby ski resorts also joined the search for the missing skiers.
“This is a fluid situation, so it can change,” Russell Greene, a sheriff’s office captain, was quoted as saying by NBC News. “We are in the process of contacting family members of individuals who were there.”
“Preparing to return when the avalanche hits”
According to Blackbird Mountain Guides, which offers guided backcountry tours, the missing skiers were wrapping up their three-day trip when the avalanche struck.
“The group was returning to the trailhead at the end of a three-day trip when the incident occurred,” Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement.
Winter storm over California
The Associated Press reported that parts of California are being battered by a powerful winter storm that is bringing treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snowfall in mountainous areas.
According to the Truckee-based Sierra Avalanche Center of the Tahoe National Forest, the area in the central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe area, faced high avalanche danger in the backcountry with large slides expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snowfall on already fragile layers of snowpack combined with gale-force winds.
Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe have been completely or partially closed due to the extreme weather. Resorts along the highways have avalanche mitigation programs and were not expected to be at as high a risk as the backcountry, where travel in, near or under avalanche terrain is strongly discouraged, the center said.
“It’s especially dangerous in the backcountry right now just because we’re at the height of the storm,” said Brandon Schwartz, Tahoe National Forest’s senior avalanche forecaster at the center.