Blackbird Mountain Guides Ceases Operations After Tahoe Avalanche
Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company involved in the Lake Tahoe avalanche that killed nine people earlier this year, has ceased operations, according to an update on its website this week.
The February avalanche was the deadliest in California history.
The guiding company, which used to coordinate trips across the United States, stopped accepting reservations and canceled future trips immediately after the incident.
The main homepage of the site now states: “Blackbird Mountain Guides is no longer operating. We are forever grateful for the kindness of our community.”
The company also posted a statement in memory of the killed skiers.
“Wherever we are in the mountains — every ridge, every quiet morning — the nine we lost are with us,” it said. “In our hearts. Always.”
The guiding company did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment.
Shortly after the incident, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the guiding company, which was subsequently handed to the Nevada District Attorney. The DA did not respond to KQED’s inquiries on Thursday.
In August, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health announced $150,000 in fines against the company.
The bulk came from one $81,000 penalty for “failing to correct the imminent hazard posed by traveling in avalanche terrain when the avalanche danger was rated high.” Cal/OSHA found that this oversight directly led to the deaths of three guides employed by Blackbird.
Blackbird appealed the fines, saying “the citations do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built.” As of Thursday afternoon, Cal/OSHA had not confirmed if the company had paid any of the fines.
The company also hired an independent fact-finder who produced a report that suggested the group was obstructed by a creek while trying to evade avalanche terrain.
The incident, which involved three of the company’s guides and six clients, hit home for Bay Area skiers — as several of the victims lived in or had connections to the region.
It also sparked conversation about the dangers of recreation in the backcountry and the risks inherent to backcountry skiing in particular.