At Least 15 Have Died on Tahoe-Area Slopes This Year
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- A deadly week for skiers in the Sierra Nevada mountains saw at least 15 deaths in 2026, including nine members of a backcountry tour group killed in California’s deadliest recorded avalanche on Tuesday.
- The avalanche struck Castle Peak during a blizzard, killing six mothers from the San Francisco Bay Area and three of the group’s four tour guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides.
- The group had been returning from an overnight stay at the Frog Lake huts, a popular backcountry skiing destination, when the avalanche occurred despite prior avalanche warnings.
- Rescuers found six survivors who had built a makeshift shelter, but the incident has raised concerns about the decision to ski in hazardous conditions.
- Additional unrelated deaths at the
