Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon has launched an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides after the company led fifteen skiers into a forecasted blizzard that resulted in California’s deadliest avalanche in modern history, killing eight and leaving one missing near Lake Tahoe’s Donner Pass.
Story Snapshot
- Eight skiers confirmed dead and one missing after avalanche struck guided group returning from backcountry hut trip on February 17, 2026
- Blackbird Mountain Guides led group into severe storm forecasted a week in advance, predicting five feet of unstable snow
- Sheriff’s investigation focuses on why professional guides proceeded despite active avalanche warnings and closed resorts
- Six survivors rescued after sheltering in place; one remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries
Deadly Avalanche Strikes During Forecasted Storm
Fifteen backcountry skiers, including four professional guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, were caught in a massive avalanche approximately the size of a football field around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in the Castle Peak area north of Donner Pass. The group was returning from a three-day guided trip to Frog Lake huts when the avalanche struck during a raging blizzard that had closed Interstate 80 and forced major ski resorts like Palisades Tahoe to shut down operations. Eight skiers were found dead, one remains missing, and six survivors were rescued that evening by approximately fifty first responders from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner.
Questions Mount Over Guide Company’s Decision-Making
The deadly incident has sparked intense scrutiny of Blackbird Mountain Guides’ decision to proceed with the backcountry trip despite severe weather forecasts issued as early as February 11 warning of a multi-day blizzard dumping over five feet of snow. Local skier Erica Eng stated that basic weather knowledge should have prevented the trip entirely, reflecting widespread public criticism on social media questioning the professional judgment of guides who specialize in teaching avalanche safety courses. Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon is now investigating the Truckee-based company’s decision-making process, though Blackbird has declined further comment beyond a brief statement acknowledging the group was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.
Rescue Becomes Recovery Operation
Sheriff Moon announced Wednesday that the mission had shifted from rescue to recovery after eight bodies were found close together and weather conditions continued to hamper search efforts for the ninth missing skier. The six survivors, five women and one man aged 30 to 55, sheltered in place and used avalanche beacons to send texts and make calls for help. Two were hospitalized initially, with one remaining hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Recovery operations face ongoing challenges from continued avalanche risk and severe weather in the remote area approximately two miles from the trailhead, requiring tracked machinery for safe access.
Preventable Tragedy Raises Liability Concerns
This avalanche marks the deadliest in modern California history and represents a dangerous pattern this season, following a January avalanche that killed snowmobiler Chris Scott Thomason near Castle Peak and a late December incident at Mammoth Mountain that killed 30-year-old ski patroller Cole Murphy. The fact that professional guides led paying clients into forecasted dangerous conditions raises serious questions about industry standards and potential criminal negligence. This tragedy undermines confidence in professional guiding services that Americans rely on to make sound safety decisions, especially when those same guides market themselves as avalanche safety experts. The families of the victims deserve answers about why their loved ones were placed in harm’s way despite clear weather warnings that kept Interstate 80 closed and major resorts shuttered.
Sheriff Moon has urged the public to avoid backcountry areas to allow resources to focus on recovery efforts, while the investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides continues. The long-term implications may include potential liability for the guide company and increased regulatory scrutiny of backcountry guiding operations across California. This incident serves as a stark reminder that even professional expertise cannot override basic common sense when nature issues clear warnings, and those who ignore such warnings while responsible for others’ safety must be held accountable.
