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All 9 Victims Recovered From Castle Peak Avalanche as Investigations Begin

Officials have opened parallel criminal and workplace-safety probes into the guided trip.

Snow covers the Tahoe National Forest, as seen from Truckee on Sunday.
A green “O” indicates correct transmission Sunday at an automated avalanche beacon checkpoint at the Johnson Canyon Trailhead in Truckee.
Snow piles up Friday in front the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office in Truckee.
Mourners raise their candles during a Truckee vigil Sunday evening for the nine avalanche victims.

Overview

  • Authorities confirmed recovery of all nine who died in the Feb. 17 slide near Lake Tahoe, described as California’s deadliest modern avalanche.
  • The deceased were six close friends — Carrie Atkin, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Kate Vitt, and sisters Liz Clabaugh and Caroline Sekar — and three Blackbird Mountain Guides: Andrew Alissandratos, Nicole Choo, and Michael Henry.
  • The 15-person party was departing the Frog Lake huts on the last day of a three-day tour to beat an incoming storm when a large slab avalanche struck around 11:30 a.m., leaving six survivors who called for help.
  • Blizzard conditions delayed operations; after mitigation to stabilize the snowpack, crews using CHP and National Guard helicopters recovered five bodies Friday and four on Saturday.
  • Tahoe National Forest has closed the Castle Peak area through March 15, and Truckee held a candlelight vigil as the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Cal/OSHA examine the guiding decisions and timeline.