A tour guide company is under intense scrutiny following a tragic avalanche near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, which claimed the lives of at least eight backcountry skiers. The incident has sparked a wave of criticism directed at Blackbird Mountain Guides, the organization leading the ill-fated, three-day expedition in the Sierra Nevada.
The backlash intensified after an unsettling Instagram video posted by Blackbird Mountain Guides surfaced. The video, shared on Monday, eerily predicted the dangerous conditions the group would face. It featured a guide examining the snow and highlighting a weak layer, which he indicated was susceptible to avalanches. This has led many to question whether the tragedy could have been avoided.
Following the avalanche, comments flooded the post, with one user accusing the company of “leading people to their deaths.” Another commenter had even issued a warning before the disaster, noting the potential hazards. “Big danger with the big storm,” the user had posted on Monday, foreshadowing the deadly event.
“Leading people to their deaths,” one commenter posted under the video after the tragedy.
Another comment arrived before the avalanche struck — and warned of snowy peril.
“Big danger with the big storm,” a user posted on Monday.
The warning drew a response from the Blackbird Mountain Guides account: “We’ll see how it all shakes out. Be careful out there!”
The devastating avalanche struck Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. as four Blackbird guides and 11 guests wrapped up their days-long expedition.
Here are the latest stories on the California Avalanche:
Six surviving skiers — who had huddled under tarps after being struck by the snowslide — were rescued, in part because they were able correspond with first responders using the iPhone’s SOS feature, said Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon on Wednesday.
Tragically, rescuers confirmed eight skiers had died in the disaster. One more skier remained missing, Moon said.
The ongoing rescue effort has been hamstrung by dangerous conditions, including more than 2 feet of snow falling after the disaster and an active avalanche warning in effect.
More snow is expected to fall as rescuers search for the final missing skier, Moon said.
The online finger-pointing directed at Blackbird Mountain Guides after the calamity wasn’t universal.
“You have no idea who was there, what happened, or the decisions involved — knock off the armchair-quarterback comments,” one Instagram user responded to a comment criticizing the tour company.
But the angry reply drew critics who stood firm that the tour group should’ve never been out.
“It is irresponsible to take people into the backcountry knowing the biggest storm set of the year is coming in hot and heavy,” one user posted.
“I hope these people turn up alive—but lifers would never be out in those conditions.”
