Bay Area Mothers Among Victims In CA's Deadliest Avalanche

MILL VALLEY, CA — Several of the victims of California's deadliest avalanche were identified by a spokesperson representing some of their family members Thursday.

“We are devastated beyond words. Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women,” a statement from a spokesperson for the families of six of the avalanche victims read. “They were 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.”

They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho and the Truckee–Tahoe region.

A professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake Huts near Truckee, California, had been planned long in advance by the eight close friends, according to the spokesperson. All were experienced backcountry skiers who held deep respect for the mountains, were trained and prepared for backcountry travel, fully equipped with all necessary avalanche safety gear, and they trusted their professional guides, the spokesperson said.

“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement read. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”

The statement was signed by the families of Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt.

In Greenbrae, neighbors are mourning Vitt, who, according to the SF Standard, had moved to the community about four years earlier with her husband and two sons.

A picture of several of the victims emerged Thursday afternoon. Several are mothers and Ivy-league graduates with accomplished careers and wilderness experience.

Marin County, Mill Valley Mayor Max Perrey told The New York Times that multiple skiers on the trip were mothers from Mill Valley, including at least one woman who did not survive the avalanche.

He did not publicly identify the victims.

“Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted,” he told the newspaper. “It’s a huge tragedy and a huge loss.”

The Kentfield School District in Marin County confirmed in an email that one of its community members, a mother of two young students, died in the avalanche, according to SFGate. The email, which identified the mother and her children, described the family as "a cherished part of our community" and stated that the two boys are with their father as they "navigate this profound loss."

The victims were part of a group of 15 people, including clients and guides from the ski tour company Blackbird Mountain Guides overwhelmed by an avalanche while they were on the final day of a three-day backcountry trek.

The avlanche hit around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Northern California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically in the Castle Peak area in the Tahoe National Forest near Truckee.

Authorities said the skiers had little time to react.

“Someone saw the avalanche, yelled ‘Avalanche!’ and it overtook them rather quickly,” said Capt. Russell “Rusty” Greene, of the Nevada County sheriff’s office.

As of Wednesday morning, eight of the skiers have died and a ninth is still missing, but presumed dead, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

Police said six people — four men and two women — were rescued Tuesday evening despite rugged terrain and ongoing avalanche threats. Survivors had already located three dead skiers before search and rescue crews found the remaining five.

With one person unaccounted for, authorities' mission moved from rescuing people to recovering bodies, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.

Moon said investigators would look into the decision to proceed with the trip on Sunday despite the forecast. That morning at 6:49 a.m., the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch, indicating that large avalanches were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Authorities were waiting to release the victims’ names to give the families time.

“They’re still reeling,” Moon said. “I could not imagine what they’re going through.”

The victims were found fairly close together, Greene said. The crews have not yet been able to remove the victims from the mountain because of the extreme conditions.

Hours before the avalanche hit, the center increased the watch to a warning, which means avalanches are expected. It’s unclear if the guides would have known about the change before they began their trek ot of the wilderness.

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Despite extreme weather, search and rescue crews reached the avalanche site by 5:30 p.m. by snowcat and skis. SAR rescued all six survivors, two of whom had non-life-threatening injuries and couldn't walk. One injured person is released, the other hospitalized. Authorities are attempting to recover the bodies of nine dead skiers from the backcountry, but weather conditions are making deployment unsafe.

Before Tuesday, six people had died in avalanches across the United States this year. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported that last month, a snowmobiler was killed after being buried in an avalanche at Castle Peak, just north of Donner Summit.

The avalanche on Tuesday was about a mile from where the snowbiler was caught, deputies said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.