Eight Dead
Eight backcountry skiers died, and one remains missing, after an avalanche struck near Lake Tahoe in Northern California on Tuesday.
Context
A group of skiers was on a three-day backcountry trip led by mountain guides in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The area near Castle Peak, where the avalanche occurred, was rated at high risk for avalanches due to a winter storm that brought several feet of snow and wind gusts up to 100 mph.
Rescue Efforts
On Tuesday morning, an avalanche struck as the group of 15 people was returning to the trailhead on the final day of their trip.
