What begins as an adventure in the mountains—how quickly can it turn into a nightmare?
Rescuers searching the backcountry near Lake Tahoe have recovered the bodies of eight skiers buried in a powerful avalanche.
One more remains missing and is now presumed dead.
The disaster struck near Castle Peak, where a “football-field-sized” wall of snow came crashing down late Tuesday morning.
Fifteen skiers were caught in the slide. Six survived—some injured, some carried out. The rest weren’t so lucky.
And the conditions? Still brutal. Another three feet of snow has fallen, making recovery efforts dangerous and emotionally draining.
“The hazard remains high,” officials warned, as teams push forward despite the risk—and the heartbreak.
One victim, tragically, was the spouse of a rescuer.
Mountain Risk Warnings
The group included both recreational skiers and guides, wrapping up a three-day trip when disaster hit.
According to the Sierra Avalanche Center, the avalanche ranked D2.5—large enough to bury, injure, or kill.
Even nearby Boreal Mountain Ski Resort had shut down due to dangerous weather.
So the question lingers: when nature sends warnings—heavy snow, high winds—why do we still push forward?
In the mountains, beauty and danger walk side by side. And sometimes, one step too far makes all the difference.
