A backcountry avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains claimed the lives of eight skiers and left one missing on Tuesday. The incident involved a group of 15 skiers, including members of the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, as they returned from remote huts. The event marks the deadliest avalanche in the United States in four decades.
On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, a group of 15 backcountry skiers was struck by an avalanche while trekking back toward the trailhead from remote huts at high elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The avalanche occurred in the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, in uncontrolled terrain known for its beauty and danger. Search and rescue teams were dispatched around 11:30 a.m. local time after reports of the incident, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
The avalanche killed eight people—three guides and five guests—and left six survivors, with a ninth person presumed dead and still missing. It is described as the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in four decades. The affected area, including Frog Lake, is owned by the Donner Land Trust, which warns that it requires appropriate avalanche education and equipment.
Several victims had connections to the Sugar Bowl Academy, an independent coed boarding and day school for competitive skiers in grades 8-12, located in Norden, California, near Lake Tahoe. The academy provides specialized alpine ski training alongside a college preparatory curriculum and has produced elite athletes, including alumni on U.S. Ski Teams and the 2022 Winter Olympics.
A statement from the academy on Wednesday, February 18, noted: "Multiple members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community and others with strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit, and the backcountry community died." Executive Director Stephen McMahon added: “We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us. The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is.”
On Thursday, February 19, a spokesperson for six victims identified them as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt, residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee-Tahoe region. The statement described them as "all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors. They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains."
The group was guided by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which had posted social media warnings about avalanche threats in the region. More heavy snow was expected in the area on Thursday.
