A week has passed since the devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe, and new insights are emerging about the tragic event that claimed the lives of nine skiers. An image of the mountain where this heartbreaking incident took place has also been revealed, offering a stark reminder of nature’s might.
The Sierra Avalanche Center has shared photographs of the scene at Castle Peak, as well as crucial information that highlights the intense, days-long rescue mission that followed the disaster. These details provide a deeper understanding of the perilous conditions that rescuers faced.
On the morning of February 17, a group of 15 backcountry skiers found themselves beneath Perry’s Peak when, at approximately 11:30 a.m., a massive “storm slab” avalanche broke away from a slope facing north to northwest. Positioned at an elevation of 8,260 feet, the slide was classified as “large” on the danger scale, descending about 400 vertical feet and burying 12 of the skiers.
In one of California’s deadliest avalanche events, the center has compiled a series of incident reports, detailed maps, and striking images to document the timeline and severity of the avalanche’s impact.
Search and rescue teams braved the challenging conditions, reaching the remote location by late Tuesday afternoon. As they struggled against the encroaching darkness and stormy weather, the unburied members of the group managed to rescue three of their companions before professional help arrived, showcasing the group’s resilience amid chaos.
Search and rescue teams reached the remote scene of the disaster later last Tuesday afternoon, working as darkness fell in high-intensity storm conditions. Members of the party who were not buried were able to dig out three individuals before professional rescuers arrived.
Crews excavated eight of the nine deceased victims that first night while evacuating six survivors under their own power to Frog Lake Huts, where they were later transported for medical care, according to the report.
After the storm subsided, avalanche mitigation operations were carried out on Feb. 20 using PG&E helicopters equipped with roughly 5,500-pound, 660-gallon water buckets. The buckets were placed and dragged across the slope and used for full-load water drops in multiple areas to stabilize the snowpack.
Following those efforts, rescuers were able to recover five additional bodies and locate another buried before nightfall. Rescue operations concluded on Feb. 21 with the retrieval of the final four victims.
The tragedy in Castle Peak stunned the tight-knit mountain community.
The guiding company leading the tour, Blackbird Mountain Guides, confirmed the “devastating loss” of guides Andrew Alissandratos, Niki Choo and Mike Henry.
Six mothers who were part of a close group of friends — Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley, Kate Vitt and sisters Caroline Sekar and Liz Claubaugh — also died in the avalanche.
Their families later released a joint statement honoring the women.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office publicly identified all nine victims on Saturday, as mourners gathered for a vigil in downtown Truckee.
Only one of the six survivors has been publicly identified: Jim Hamilton, who was rescued nearly six hours after the snowslide.
“I thought I had lost you forever,” his wife, Beth Hamilton, wrote in a Facebook post. “The not knowing whether you survived was a pain I cannot put into words.”
