Six of the people who died were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the alpine wilderness, their families said Thursday. The three others who are dead or presumed dead were guides.
“We are devastated beyond words,” the families said in a statement released through a spokesperson. The women were mothers, wives and friends who “connected through the love of the outdoors,” they said, and were carrying avalanche safety equipment and prepared for backcountry travel.
The six were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, and they lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Idaho and in the Lake Tahoe area. The families asked for privacy while they grieve.
The names of the other victims have not been released.
Two from the group of friends survived and were rescued along with four others, including a guide.
Avalanche warnings were set to expire early Friday, and dryer and milder conditions were predicted for the weekend, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
The slide is the deadliest in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state.
The 15 skiers began their three-day trip Sunday just as warnings about the storm were intensifying. By early Tuesday, officials cautioned that avalanches were expected.
What the guides and their tour company knew about the warnings and why they pressed on is now part of investigations by local authorities and a state agency that regulates workplace safety.
Avalanche safety experts say it is not uncommon for backcountry skiers to go out when there is an avalanche watch or even a warning.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, which was leading the expedition, said the guides who were on the trek were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. While in the field, guides “are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions,” founder Zeb Blais said in a statement.
