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California Avalanche Near Castle Peak Claims Eight Lives, One Still Missing, Investigation Underway

Updated (18 articles)
  • Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
    Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier) Source Full size
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  • Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada.
    Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada.
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada. Source Full size
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  • Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains.
    Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains.
    Image: BBC
    Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. (Reuters) Source Full size
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  • Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.)
    Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.)
    Image: Newsweek
    Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.) Source Full size
  • Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
    Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
    Image: WBNS (Columbus, OH)
    Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) (Credit: AP) Source Full size
  • A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group
    A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group
    Image: BBC
    A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group (Nevada County Sheriff's Office) Source Full size
  • Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026.
    Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026. Source Full size
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  • Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains.
    Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains.
    Image: BBC
    Rescue teams have been deployed to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. (Reuters) Source Full size
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    Image: BBC
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  • A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group
    A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group
    Image: BBC
    A type of vehicle normally used for grooming snow is trying to reach the trapped group (Nevada County Sheriff's Office) Source Full size
  • Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada.
    Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada.
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow and trees along Lake Tahoe on December 31, 2025, in Glenbook, Nevada. Source Full size
  • Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026.
    Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow on a skiing hill in the Lake Tahoe region in Truckee, California, on February 12, 2026. Source Full size
  • Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
    Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
    Image: Newsweek
    Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier) Source Full size
  • Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.)
    Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.)
    Image: Newsweek
    Images shared by the local sheriff’s office show rescue efforts underway on February 17, 2026. (Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.) Source Full size
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  • Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
    Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
    Image: WBNS (Columbus, OH)
    Snow comes down on a dog as traffic is backed up along interstate 80 during a storm Thursday near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) (Credit: AP) Source Full size

Avalanche Strikes 15‑Person Backcountry Group Near Castle Peak On Feb 17, a D2.5 avalanche erupted on a north‑facing slope at Castle Peak, Lake Tahoe, burying a party of 15 skiers and guides during the final day of a three‑day trek [1][3][10]. The slide, described as “football‑field sized,” occurred despite a level‑4 avalanche warning issued earlier that morning [1][15]. Eight bodies have been recovered, a ninth skier is presumed dead, and six participants survived the burial [1][6][12].

Victims Identified as Six Mothers and Two Men, Including Two Sisters Families confirmed the deaths of six women—Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar (45) and Kate Vitt (43)—four of whom were mothers; Sekar and Clabaugh were sisters [2][3][7]. The two male victims were identified as guides, while the surviving men are clients [1][2][9]. Tributes highlighted their roles in biotech, wine, and SiriusXM product operations [2].

Blackbird Mountain Guides Suffer Heavy Losses and Face OSHA Probe The guided expedition was operated by Blackbird Mountain Guides; three of the four guides died and the remaining guide survived [1][5][12]. California OSHA opened an investigation into the company’s safety practices, though the guides held certifications from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education [1][5]. The firm has paused field operations and launched an internal review [5][12].

Severe Storm Conditions Delay Recovery and Keep Hazard High A “monster” winter storm dumped three to six feet of new snow, produced gale‑force winds, and created an unstable snowpack that halted further extractions [10][13][14]. Rescue crews were forced to leave eight bodies on the slope and postpone additional work until conditions improve [1][4][11]. The Sierra Avalanche Center warned that high‑danger conditions will persist through at least Thursday [8][17].

Authorities Issue Extended Area Closure and Ongoing High‑Danger Warning Tahoe National Forest closed the Castle Peak region through March 15, barring public access to trails and huts [1][2][8]. The Sierra Avalanche Center maintained a high‑danger (level 4/5) alert, urging backcountry travelers to avoid the terrain [8][17]. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office coordinated an all‑hands SAR effort while emphasizing the unprecedented severity of the event [15][17].

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Timeline

Jan 2026 – A fatal avalanche strikes the same Castle Peak area earlier in the month, and a snowmobiler dies at Johnson Peak, underscoring the region’s growing instability[10].

Feb 15, 2026 – Blackbird Mountain Guides launches a three‑day backcountry ski trek to the Frog Lake huts, carrying food, gear and four certified guides for 15 participants[14].

Feb 17, 2026 6:49 a.m. – The Sierra Avalanche Center issues an avalanche watch for the Castle Peak corridor, warning of possible large slides within 24‑48 hours[13].

Feb 17, 2026 5 a.m. – The watch upgrades to an avalanche warning as fresh snow accumulates, raising the danger level to 4 of 5[13].

Feb 17, 2026 11:30 a.m. – A D2.5‑size slab avalanche erupts near Castle Peak, burying eight skiers and guides, killing them, and leaving a ninth skier missing as the party attempts to ski out of Frog Lake huts[13].

Feb 17, 2026 ~5:30 p.m. – Roughly 50 responders, including snowcats and ski teams, locate six survivors after six hours in a blizzard, evacuating two with non‑life‑threatening injuries[9].

Feb 17, 2026 – Governor Gavin Newsom posts on X that the slide is a “horrible tragedy,” highlighting the state’s grief over the deadliest avalanche in decades[6].

Feb 17, 2026 – Sheriff Wayne Woo warns the public that “the climate is treacherous,” urging backcountry avoidance amid ongoing high winds and snowfall[2].

Feb 17, 2026 – Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announces an investigation into why the guided party proceeded despite the avalanche warning, questioning whether guides received the alert[14].

Feb 17, 2026 – Families mourn, with one husband describing his wife Caroline Sekar as “authentic and unabashedly unfiltered” and another saying “the kids and I are shattered” after the loss of loved ones[7].

Feb 18, 2026 – The Sierra Avalanche Center issues a high‑avalanche‑danger warning for Greater Lake Tahoe that will remain in effect through Thursday, citing continued heavy snowfall and wind[8].

Feb 18, 2026 – Cal/OSHA opens a workplace‑safety investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides, while the company pauses field operations pending review[5].

Feb 18, 2026 – Tahoe National Forest closes the Castle Peak area to the public through March 15, barring access to trails and backcountry terrain amid unstable snowpack[5].

Feb 19, 2026 – Ongoing storm conditions delay body recovery; rescue teams plan to resume recovery operations on Friday as winds and new snow persist[11].

Feb 20, 2026 – The ninth skier remains presumed missing, search teams continue in hazardous weather, and local officials reiterate warnings to stay out of the backcountry[1].

Historical context – The February 17 slide becomes the deadliest U.S. avalanche since the 1981 Mount Rainier disaster that claimed 11 climbers, marking a rare high‑casualty event in American mountaineering history[9].

Future outlook – The Northwest Avalanche Center alerts that a forthcoming heavy‑snow system could raise avalanche danger in the Cascades next week, prompting broader safety advisories beyond California[17].

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