Overview
- The official review released this week of the February 17 Donner Summit avalanche says the party moved below avalanche terrain and into a runout zone where a slide was likely, and nine people died.
- Investigators say the guides chose a higher-risk exit from the Frog Lake huts even though two safer routes were available.
- The report says the large group traveled in a tight cluster instead of sending one person at a time, a practice that raises both exposure and the chance of triggering a slide.
- A few skiers wore inflatable airbag packs, yet none were deployed, and the report notes the bags must be pulled by hand which is hard with little warning.
- Heavy snowfall of about 111 inches and peak winds up to 125 mph during the storm created deep, unstable drifts and very poor visibility.