Was Anyone at Fault in Sierra Nevada Avalanche Deaths?
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- At least eight people, including three experienced guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides and six clients, died in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, with a ninth person missing and presumed dead.
- California’s workplace safety agency, Cal-OSHA, has launched an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides to determine the circumstances and responsibilities surrounding the incident.
- The group, consisting mainly of mothers familiar with the area, was on a three-day backcountry skiing trip to the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak when the avalanche occurred.
- Authorities have not yet been able to recover the bodies or provide detailed information about the cause of the avalanche.
- Avalanche warnings had been issued before and during the trip, raising questions about the decision-making and risk management of
