Tahoe Area Avalanche Claims Eight Lives; One Missing

[thetrailboss]

Absolutely horrific incident that unfolded yesterday with a tour group that was returning from an overnight backcountry ski trip. Eight skiers are dead; one is still missing. The incident occurred at 11:30am when an emergency beacon went off notifying the authorities of an avalanche. It took several hours for the rescuers to mobilize and even get into the backcountry.

Responders said that an initial assessment suggests that the avalanche was a football field in width.

Here is the presser from the local rescue agencies:

Say a prayer for the families.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I know they were returning and obviously this horrible but why the fuck were they even still out there. This monster storm was very forecasted including the timings.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I had the same questions... Especially along the Sierra Crest. Storms like this make lake effect events in Buffalo look like flurries.

It's horrible. I wonder if this happened in a place that "never slides" territory. Sort of like the Alpine Meadows Tragedy.

 

[abc]

I wonder if this happened in a place that "never slides" territory. Sort of like the Alpine Meadows Tragedy.

Reading some comments on other sources, that appears to be the case.

But this also isn’t new. With the changing climate, terrain that “historically” doesn’t slide is increasing slide potentials.

 

[takeahike46er]

It's horrible. I wonder if this happened in a place that "never slides" territory. Sort of like the Alpine Meadows Tragedy.

Kind of along the lines of what I was thinking.

Based on the initial report, it looks like the avalanche ran the full path. I suspect most avalanches on this slope typically terminate well before the trail/route that crosses the slide path.

 

[thetrailboss]

I know they were returning and obviously this horrible but why the fuck were they even still out there. This monster storm was very forecasted including the timings.

I have to wonder why they did not just stay put in those cabins. I saw a picture last night and they were POSH to say the least. Then again, the guides were trained and assessed the risk. Now three out of those four guides have paid the price for that decision (I believe only one survived). Even if they did everything right, shit can still happen.

I normally might be more critical, but for some reason on this one I just can only feel badly for what happened and say a prayer for the lost ones. Some of the reporters at the press conference were already looking to play Monday morning quarterback on this one. I just can't.

 

[MidnightJester]

I know they were returning and obviously this horrible but why the fuck were they even still out there. This monster storm was very forecasted including the timings.

It seems they were not alone out there. In some of the news articles there are quotes from a interview with a person who was staying in other huts or the same one and left a day or two early to beat out the storm. I wonder if their trip was originally 3/4 days and they stayed to the end or left early but not early enough.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I know they were returning and obviously this horrible but why the fuck were they even still out there. This monster storm was very forecasted including the timings.

Completely insane. AHEAD of this storm we were talking in the western ski thread about how avalanche conditions are going to be as bad as they could possibly be, and literally everywhere. This was a surprise to nobody, which, and I hate to say this, makes me wonder how much risk the guide company was taking due to the fact I bet they've had like zero business so far this year.

 

[MidnightJester]

Completely insane. AHEAD of this storm we were talking in the western ski thread about how avalanche conditions are going to be as bad as they possibly be, and literally everywhere. This was a surprise to nobody, which, and I hate to say this, makes me wonder how much risk the guide company was taking due to the fact I bet they've had like zero business so far this year.

So picked up from the news that one of the missing and assumed deceased is the spouse of one of the Rescue people whose regular job was rescuing. Wonder if they had any talking going both before the trip and during the 3 days of backcountry skiing or riding

 

[takeahike46er]

Completely insane. AHEAD of this storm we were talking in the western ski thread about how avalanche conditions are going to be as bad as they could possibly be, and literally everywhere. This was a surprise to nobody, which, and I hate to say this, makes me wonder how much risk the guide company was taking due to the fact I bet they've had like zero business so far this year.

You don’t know what you are talking about. High avi danger does not preclude any safe travel in the backcountry. Almost the entirety of the route from the hut is simple terrain.

While some mistakes were clearly made, we don’t have all the facts here.

 

[BenedictGomez]

You don’t know what you are talking about. High avi danger does not preclude any safe travel in the backcountry. Almost the entirety of the route from the hut is simple terrain.

While some mistakes were clearly made, we don’t have all the facts here.

You don't know what you are talking about. Unless under direct avalanche mitigation efforts (i.e. on map) there is NO "simple terrain" right now. The west is a powderekeg currently & sub 30 slopes that might not normally be considered dangerous are currently suspect. And even low angie terrain directly below steep terrain is NOT safe. This had literally been talked about by avy experts giving warnings about the danger potential in any "next" storm for weeks now. Weeks.

 

[machski]

Events like this remind me of both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. Nah, it's fine, it's never been a problem before. Until it is. And with this storm as BG has notes, it was warned well in advance this was not going to be even tour typical sierra dumper. It was going to be severe and conditions on the ground ahead of it boosted avi danger to the extreme.

 

[Hastur]

This reads like a big heuristic trap example.

 

[takeahike46er]

You don't know what you are talking about. Unless under direct avalanche mitigation efforts (i.e. on map) there is NO "simple terrain" right now. The west is a powderekeg currently & sub 30 slopes that might not normally be considered dangerous are currently suspect. And even low angie terrain directly below steep terrain is NOT safe. This had literally been talked about by avy experts giving warnings about the danger potential in any "next" storm for weeks now. Weeks.

You clearly don’t know about ATES ratings (simple, challenging, complex). The terrain ratings don’t change depending on the conditions, and sticking to simple terrain during periods of instability is a common strategy to avoid avalanche danger. Most of the route is defined as simple terrain, and there were options to avoid the slide path and stay out of harms way.

Again, clearly some mistakes were made as they traveled across the north side of Perry’s Point, but to suggest guides are “insane” for even being out when avi danger is high is a hot take.

Arguably the bigger danger was just being out in that weather. When things go wrong (eg. injury from a fall), SAR isn’t going to be able to respond and travel is slow.

 

[takeahike46er]

This reads like a big heuristic trap example.

Totally. Familiarity and Expert halo come to mind.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Events like this remind me of both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. Nah, it's fine, it's never been a problem before. Until it is. And with this storm as BG has notes, it was warned well in advance this was not going to be even tour typical sierra dumper. It was going to be severe and conditions on the ground ahead of it boosted avi danger to the extreme.

Exactly. Every avy expert I saw said this was as bad as it ever gets, not as euphemistic English or hyperbole, they were being literal. Basically begging people not to get into the backcountry, or even duck on-map ropes/gates until experts could analyze it and/or mitigate.

And as I type this, the explosions are going off like it's 4th or July.

 

[drjeff]

My wife told me tonight that she heard that the non guide victims of this tragic incident were apparently "racer moms" which both hit her and the 4 other racer Mom's she went out to Tahoe with about a month ago!

 

[BenedictGomez]

Another Tahoe avalanche with a fatality, 20 year old male.

 

[Hawk]

I am going to wait to see the details from the investigation. I have a feeling that there might be something additional to this. Bad choices do add up but something made them stay too long.

 

[thetrailboss]

Another Tahoe avalanche with a fatality, 20 year old male.

View attachment 68019

It occurred in the parking lot?!