Tahoe Avalanche Hits Home for the Bay Area’s ‘Weekend Warriors’
Blackbird Mountain Guides Was Built on Avalanche Safety, Then One Struck
All 9 Tahoe Avalanche Victims Identified and Bodies Recovered
California Authorities Launch Investigation of Criminal Negligence in Deadly Tahoe Avalanche
6 Women Killed in Tahoe Avalanche Identified, Recovery Still Delayed by ‘Treacherous’ Conditions
Tahoe Avalanche: Here’s What We Know About the Victims
8 Skiers Confirmed Dead, 1 Still Missing After Tahoe Avalanche. Here’s What We Know
Heavy Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads Across Bay Area and Sierra Nevada
How to Do a Cozy Winter Cabin Getaway Near the Bay Area — on a Budget
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"content": "\u003cp>Search and rescue crews have recovered all nine bodies of those killed in last Tuesday’s avalanche in Tahoe, which is now the deadliest in California’s modern history. Four of the victims were women from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s Sarah Wright explains what we know so far, and how this tragedy highlights the Bay Area’s deep ties to outdoor recreation in Tahoe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074158/tahoe-avalanche-backcountry-101-castle-peak-frog-lake-donner-summit-weather\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After Deadly Tahoe Avalanche, Backcountry Skiing Is Under Scrutiny. Here’s What to Know\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074292/all-9-tahoe-avalanche-victims-identified-and-bodies-recovered\">All 9 Tahoe Avalanche Victims Identified and Bodies Recovered\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC7238004001\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cb>Singers sing Amazing Grace\u003c/b>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, more than 100 people gathered in the town of Truckee near Lake Tahoe to mourn the victims in what’s become the deadliest avalanche in California’s modern history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Courtney Henderson: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:26] \u003c/em>On a cold night, in the middle of so much heartbreak, you all came. That is exactly who this community is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:38] \u003c/em>Four of the nine people who died in last Tuesday’s avalanche were from the Bay Area. They’ve been described as mothers, wives, and friends who connected through their love of the outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Courtney Henderson: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>The families carrying those losses bear a weight that is unbearable. What we know is that however that grief is held tonight, it will not be held alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:10] \u003c/em>Today, the latest on the Tahoe Avalanche and the Bay Area’s close ties with Tahoe’s outdoor community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>My first reaction being from Tahoe was, oh no, who do I know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:37] \u003c/em>Sarah Wright covers the outdoors for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:42] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of people I know who backcountry ski, or people who I follow on social media who back country ski, and I was immediately thinking, which person who I’ve seen this beautiful video or commented on a wonderful photo just had the worst possible outcome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>What a feeling to be seeing the news and be wondering if you know any of those people personally. I mean, what do we know about the victims?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:15] \u003c/em>This was a guided group of 15 people out on a three-day backcountry skiing trip to the Frog Lake Huts, which is up in Tahoe by Donner Summit. What we know so far is that there were nine victims of this avalanche and six survivors. Among the nine victims, three of them were guides with this guided trip that everybody was on and the remaining six were clients. And of those clients. They were all women, primarily in their 40s and 50s, and many of them were from the Bay Area. They’re experienced backcountry skiers. They go on trips like these every single year. It appeared that this was like a fully scheduled and advanced trip. They were looking forward to it. And so this was just obviously a huge shock to their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:07] \u003c/em>Let’s talk a little bit about what happened and what we know about what happens so far. Where the avalanche occurred is this place called Castle… Peak. Castle Peak. Is this a pretty popular place to go back country skiing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:21] \u003c/em>Yeah. So it’s in the Tahoe National Forest and it’s just north of Highway 80. So if you’ve ever been up to Tahoe, like you’ve probably passed by it, not even realizing. But especially, I mean, I talked to the mayor of Truckee on a close dot and she said a lot of Trukkee residents recreate in this area all the time. Truckees sits at the base of Donner Summit and you can see Castle Peak from most of Trukee. So, it’s very close to our community. It’s one of those places that is actually not super far from Highway 80, a major interstate, but feels very remote when you’re out there because it’s up in the high elevation and it’s just really gorgeous, high alpine environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:07] \u003c/em>How rare was an avalanche like this there? Like, was it unexpected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Avalanches are possible and quite common in areas like this. It’s not like you can predict avalanches, but the Sierra Avalanche Center does issue high, moderate, and otherwise avalanche warnings and alerts and advisories. And in this case, on Tuesday morning, they had issued a high avalanch risk warning. We knew that this storm was going to come in and that it was going be a big one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:47] \u003c/em>I mean, for people who aren’t familiar or don’t recreate in this area, what even is backcountry skiing and how is that different from regular skiing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:58] \u003c/em>If you’re regular skiing, you’re probably at a ski resort. There’s ski patrol that’s patrolling the entirety of the resort, there’s certain trails and certain lifts that are open and closed depending on conditions. You are kind of entering into an agreement with that resort that they’re going to do the best they can to protect you. The major difference with backcountry skiing is that there is no resort, no ski patrol, you are in charge of your own safety. You’re out in wilderness area. And you are basically there ensuring your own safety. It’s actually a really cool sport. It’s a really wonderful sport. It allows people to go skiing and to go explore wilderness that they normally wouldn’t be able to. And it’s very rewarding because you can be out there and just feel completely alone in a way that’s very fun and empowering and beautiful. I don’t backcountry ski myself, but I do hike. And camp in the backcountry a lot, so I’m familiar with this feeling of only having to go a little ways to get a big experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>I guess as someone from Tahoe, what have the conversations in your circles been like in the wake of the avalanche?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:24] \u003c/em>Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of people talk about what would I have done in this scenario. I feel like what I’ve been seeing is the people that know the least have the most to say and the people who know the most. All they can say is this is part of the tragedy of this sport. And, you know, this is just a very, very sad incident and a lot of experts even saying like, I have been in situations like this and I got lucky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:51] \u003c/em>We have to learn from this. We have use it as a learning experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:54] \u003c/em>Kevin Cooper is a long-time backcountry skier, and he’s ingrained in the local ski industry. And so he kind of really warned people that the backcountry is not a safe place to be. And if you’re going to go out there, you have to basically do everything you can to to mitigate your risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:12] \u003c/em>Were they out there in the back country because, you know, this was going to be an experience to ski fresh snow? Yes. But what were the signals that Mother Nature was sending in the National Weather Service and the Sierra Avalanche Center was putting out there that they could have made a little bit different of a decision? And I’m not here to judge anybody. I was not there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>And some of his advice is, like many, to take courses, to get educated, and to basically commit to this lifelong practice of learning about the backcountry and about avalanche safety. There is a long history of education of how to do this sport safely, as safely as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:53] \u003c/em>You can’t just take the course and graduate and get the sheep skin and think, ‘I’m the back country expert.’ It takes years of knowledge to understand snow, snow loads, wind loading, all the different conditions mother nature puts out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:09] \u003c/em>That said, I think everybody is going to learn from this incident once we have more details about the decisions they did make. This will be taught in avalanche courses. It’s the deadliest modern avalanches in California history. The folks who teach back country courses and lead these back country guiding expeditions, they will be looking at their curriculum, their training, their preparation. And revising it based on the information that comes out of this incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:40] \u003c/em>So what now, Sarah? I understand there’s an investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:45] \u003c/em>Both Cal OSHA and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office have launched separate investigations into the guiding company. They’re looking for any evidence of criminal negligence. Just by launching an investigation doesn’t mean there is any evidence of that, but that’s part of their role moving forward. And I think from here the biggest thing is that, you know, once the survivors are ready to tell their story, and once more details are released by the sheriff’s office about their communication with the guides and with the guiding company, that’s going to reveal a lot about what decisions were made and when, and kind of just any failure points in their decision-making tree, as we call it. And, you know, once we hear from the survivors, I imagine that will be an extremely powerful and very scary account of what happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:50] \u003c/em>Tahoe is not the Bay, Sarah, but obviously there is a very direct Bay Area connection to this story. Some of the victims being moms from the Bay Area. And there seems to be this very tight connection between the Bay area and Tahoe. I mean, I know schools here in the Bay Area have ‘ski week.’ Can you talk a little bit about that connection between the two communities?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:14] \u003c/em>Yeah, absolutely. I’m an example of that. In fact, my family lived in the Bay Area and chose to move to Tahoe in order to be able to ski and hike and live where they were recreating every weekend. I think there are a lot of families, and this was the case with some of the families who ended up victims of this avalanche. They were up at Tahoe every weekend. You know, they’re these sort of weekend warrior types. It’s super common to see people who are really committed to these outdoor sports or just like love the nature of the place to be up there. I actually spoke last month to Nina O’Brien, she’s an alpine ski racer who was at the Olympics this month. And she grew up as a weekend warrior, grew up in San Francisco going to Tahoe every single weekend to train and she made the Olympics. So this is like a huge, a huge side of the Bay Area. I know also talking to the Truckee community, like some guides were local to that area. So they’re mourning not only, you know, their own. Residents, but also, you know, we get to know the regular visitors and the folks who choose to make Tahoe their second home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:33] \u003c/em>Well, Sarah, thank you so much for sharing your reporting with us. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:36] \u003c/em>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Search and rescue crews have recovered all nine bodies of those killed in last Tuesday’s avalanche in Tahoe, which is now the deadliest in California’s modern history. Four of the victims were women from the Bay Area. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Search and rescue crews have recovered all nine bodies of those killed in last Tuesday’s avalanche in Tahoe, which is now the deadliest in California’s modern history. Four of the victims were women from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s Sarah Wright explains what we know so far, and how this tragedy highlights the Bay Area’s deep ties to outdoor recreation in Tahoe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074158/tahoe-avalanche-backcountry-101-castle-peak-frog-lake-donner-summit-weather\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After Deadly Tahoe Avalanche, Backcountry Skiing Is Under Scrutiny. Here’s What to Know\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074292/all-9-tahoe-avalanche-victims-identified-and-bodies-recovered\">All 9 Tahoe Avalanche Victims Identified and Bodies Recovered\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC7238004001\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cb>Singers sing Amazing Grace\u003c/b>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, more than 100 people gathered in the town of Truckee near Lake Tahoe to mourn the victims in what’s become the deadliest avalanche in California’s modern history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Courtney Henderson: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:26] \u003c/em>On a cold night, in the middle of so much heartbreak, you all came. That is exactly who this community is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:38] \u003c/em>Four of the nine people who died in last Tuesday’s avalanche were from the Bay Area. They’ve been described as mothers, wives, and friends who connected through their love of the outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Courtney Henderson: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>The families carrying those losses bear a weight that is unbearable. What we know is that however that grief is held tonight, it will not be held alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:10] \u003c/em>Today, the latest on the Tahoe Avalanche and the Bay Area’s close ties with Tahoe’s outdoor community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>My first reaction being from Tahoe was, oh no, who do I know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:37] \u003c/em>Sarah Wright covers the outdoors for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:42] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of people I know who backcountry ski, or people who I follow on social media who back country ski, and I was immediately thinking, which person who I’ve seen this beautiful video or commented on a wonderful photo just had the worst possible outcome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>What a feeling to be seeing the news and be wondering if you know any of those people personally. I mean, what do we know about the victims?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:15] \u003c/em>This was a guided group of 15 people out on a three-day backcountry skiing trip to the Frog Lake Huts, which is up in Tahoe by Donner Summit. What we know so far is that there were nine victims of this avalanche and six survivors. Among the nine victims, three of them were guides with this guided trip that everybody was on and the remaining six were clients. And of those clients. They were all women, primarily in their 40s and 50s, and many of them were from the Bay Area. They’re experienced backcountry skiers. They go on trips like these every single year. It appeared that this was like a fully scheduled and advanced trip. They were looking forward to it. And so this was just obviously a huge shock to their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:07] \u003c/em>Let’s talk a little bit about what happened and what we know about what happens so far. Where the avalanche occurred is this place called Castle… Peak. Castle Peak. Is this a pretty popular place to go back country skiing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:21] \u003c/em>Yeah. So it’s in the Tahoe National Forest and it’s just north of Highway 80. So if you’ve ever been up to Tahoe, like you’ve probably passed by it, not even realizing. But especially, I mean, I talked to the mayor of Truckee on a close dot and she said a lot of Trukkee residents recreate in this area all the time. Truckees sits at the base of Donner Summit and you can see Castle Peak from most of Trukee. So, it’s very close to our community. It’s one of those places that is actually not super far from Highway 80, a major interstate, but feels very remote when you’re out there because it’s up in the high elevation and it’s just really gorgeous, high alpine environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:07] \u003c/em>How rare was an avalanche like this there? Like, was it unexpected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Avalanches are possible and quite common in areas like this. It’s not like you can predict avalanches, but the Sierra Avalanche Center does issue high, moderate, and otherwise avalanche warnings and alerts and advisories. And in this case, on Tuesday morning, they had issued a high avalanch risk warning. We knew that this storm was going to come in and that it was going be a big one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:47] \u003c/em>I mean, for people who aren’t familiar or don’t recreate in this area, what even is backcountry skiing and how is that different from regular skiing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:58] \u003c/em>If you’re regular skiing, you’re probably at a ski resort. There’s ski patrol that’s patrolling the entirety of the resort, there’s certain trails and certain lifts that are open and closed depending on conditions. You are kind of entering into an agreement with that resort that they’re going to do the best they can to protect you. The major difference with backcountry skiing is that there is no resort, no ski patrol, you are in charge of your own safety. You’re out in wilderness area. And you are basically there ensuring your own safety. It’s actually a really cool sport. It’s a really wonderful sport. It allows people to go skiing and to go explore wilderness that they normally wouldn’t be able to. And it’s very rewarding because you can be out there and just feel completely alone in a way that’s very fun and empowering and beautiful. I don’t backcountry ski myself, but I do hike. And camp in the backcountry a lot, so I’m familiar with this feeling of only having to go a little ways to get a big experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>I guess as someone from Tahoe, what have the conversations in your circles been like in the wake of the avalanche?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:24] \u003c/em>Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of people talk about what would I have done in this scenario. I feel like what I’ve been seeing is the people that know the least have the most to say and the people who know the most. All they can say is this is part of the tragedy of this sport. And, you know, this is just a very, very sad incident and a lot of experts even saying like, I have been in situations like this and I got lucky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:51] \u003c/em>We have to learn from this. We have use it as a learning experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:54] \u003c/em>Kevin Cooper is a long-time backcountry skier, and he’s ingrained in the local ski industry. And so he kind of really warned people that the backcountry is not a safe place to be. And if you’re going to go out there, you have to basically do everything you can to to mitigate your risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:12] \u003c/em>Were they out there in the back country because, you know, this was going to be an experience to ski fresh snow? Yes. But what were the signals that Mother Nature was sending in the National Weather Service and the Sierra Avalanche Center was putting out there that they could have made a little bit different of a decision? And I’m not here to judge anybody. I was not there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>And some of his advice is, like many, to take courses, to get educated, and to basically commit to this lifelong practice of learning about the backcountry and about avalanche safety. There is a long history of education of how to do this sport safely, as safely as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kevin Cooper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:53] \u003c/em>You can’t just take the course and graduate and get the sheep skin and think, ‘I’m the back country expert.’ It takes years of knowledge to understand snow, snow loads, wind loading, all the different conditions mother nature puts out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:09] \u003c/em>That said, I think everybody is going to learn from this incident once we have more details about the decisions they did make. This will be taught in avalanche courses. It’s the deadliest modern avalanches in California history. The folks who teach back country courses and lead these back country guiding expeditions, they will be looking at their curriculum, their training, their preparation. And revising it based on the information that comes out of this incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:40] \u003c/em>So what now, Sarah? I understand there’s an investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:45] \u003c/em>Both Cal OSHA and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office have launched separate investigations into the guiding company. They’re looking for any evidence of criminal negligence. Just by launching an investigation doesn’t mean there is any evidence of that, but that’s part of their role moving forward. And I think from here the biggest thing is that, you know, once the survivors are ready to tell their story, and once more details are released by the sheriff’s office about their communication with the guides and with the guiding company, that’s going to reveal a lot about what decisions were made and when, and kind of just any failure points in their decision-making tree, as we call it. And, you know, once we hear from the survivors, I imagine that will be an extremely powerful and very scary account of what happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:50] \u003c/em>Tahoe is not the Bay, Sarah, but obviously there is a very direct Bay Area connection to this story. Some of the victims being moms from the Bay Area. And there seems to be this very tight connection between the Bay area and Tahoe. I mean, I know schools here in the Bay Area have ‘ski week.’ Can you talk a little bit about that connection between the two communities?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:14] \u003c/em>Yeah, absolutely. I’m an example of that. In fact, my family lived in the Bay Area and chose to move to Tahoe in order to be able to ski and hike and live where they were recreating every weekend. I think there are a lot of families, and this was the case with some of the families who ended up victims of this avalanche. They were up at Tahoe every weekend. You know, they’re these sort of weekend warrior types. It’s super common to see people who are really committed to these outdoor sports or just like love the nature of the place to be up there. I actually spoke last month to Nina O’Brien, she’s an alpine ski racer who was at the Olympics this month. And she grew up as a weekend warrior, grew up in San Francisco going to Tahoe every single weekend to train and she made the Olympics. So this is like a huge, a huge side of the Bay Area. I know also talking to the Truckee community, like some guides were local to that area. So they’re mourning not only, you know, their own. Residents, but also, you know, we get to know the regular visitors and the folks who choose to make Tahoe their second home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:33] \u003c/em>Well, Sarah, thank you so much for sharing your reporting with us. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sarah Wright: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:36] \u003c/em>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Blackbird Mountain Guides Was Built on Avalanche Safety, Then One Struck",
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"headTitle": "Blackbird Mountain Guides Was Built on Avalanche Safety, Then One Struck | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Zebulon “Zeb” Blais has skied six of the seven continents, summited Mount Everest twice, and built what would become a leading provider of avalanche education in North America. He holds the highest professional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/avalanche\">avalanche\u003c/a> certifications available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also knows, firsthand, what it feels like to be buried by one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the morning of Feb. 17, an avalanche swept through a 15-person group near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada — four of them guides from Blais’ company, Blackbird Mountain Guides — as they returned from a three-day backcountry ski trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074292/all-9-tahoe-avalanche-victims-identified-and-bodies-recovered\">Nine people are dead\u003c/a>, including three of Blackbird’s own guides. It’s the deadliest avalanche in modern California history, and it struck a company that built its identity around the idea that preparation, training and sound judgment could keep people alive in exactly this kind of terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had some close calls with avalanches,” Blais said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theuiaa.org/mountainvoices/\">2024 episode\u003c/a> of Mountain Voices, a podcast series from the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, where he described being buried in the snow. “And what it comes down to is really it’s all about human factors and decision making. We typically have a good idea of when the snowpack is unstable. We can read the forecast, we can see that a storm just came in, and we ignore it because of pressure from our group, pressure we put on ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tragedy has thrust Blackbird into the center of a painful and still-unresolved question that even its founder had already tried to answer out loud: How does something like this happen to people who seemed to know better than almost anyone what the mountains can do?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is Blackbird\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Founded by Blais in 2020, Truckee-based Blackbird Mountain Guides offers mountaineering courses, backcountry ski trips, and guided expeditions in California, Washington and internationally. It is not a casual operation. By one key industry measure, it was the most significant avalanche education provider in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2024, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education named Blackbird the most prolific AIARE provider in North America for the 2023-2024 season. They trained more students and ran more avalanche courses than any other provider in the US.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074295\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074295\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People observe a moment of silence during a vigil for the 9 people who died in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“For years, founder Zeb Blais and the Blackbird team have worked tirelessly to gain the trust of thousands of students, one small group at a time,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blackbird-guides_aiare-avalancheeducation-moststudentstrained-activity-7249501211681251328-1pxS/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABMr-DsB5AD_QyGOwGqwFicqPX-yXqy-wRE\">LinkedIn post\u003c/a> at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The credentials of Blackbird’s guide team reflect that identity. Of the 39 guides listed on the company’s website before February’s avalanche, 35 carry Wilderness First Responder \u003ca href=\"https://nasar.org/page/WFR\">certifications\u003c/a>. Thirty-five are listed as AIARE Course Leaders — \u003ca href=\"https://avtraining.org/course-leader-training/\">certified\u003c/a> to teach avalanche safety courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven hold AIARE’s highest level of avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://avtraining.org/pro/\">certification\u003c/a>. Eight hold the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations/American Mountain Guide \u003ca href=\"https://www.amga.com/programs/mountain-guide-programs\">designation\u003c/a>, regarded as the gold standard in international mountain guiding. Twelve are AMGA \u003ca href=\"https://www.amga.com/programs/mountain-guide-programs/ski-guide-program\">Certified\u003c/a> Ski Guides.[aside postID=news_12074158 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/GettyImages-2206235259.jpg']The AIARE designations require multi-day, field-based training and formal assessment in avalanche terrain, including rescue scenarios and hazard evaluation. Course Leaders are authorized not just to take classes, but to teach them and mentor other instructors. The highest avalanche certifications in AIARE’s professional track are typically earned only after years of field experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similarly, AMGA certifications require a multi-year progression of documented guiding days, technical exams and in-person assessments in alpine, rock and ski terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law does not require those credentials to guide paying clients in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/avalanche\">avalanche\u003c/a> terrain, but within the industry, they function as markers of advanced professional competence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All four guides on the Castle Peak trip reportedly carried those kinds of credentials. In a statement released Wednesday, Blais said they were all AMGA-trained or certified and AIARE instructors, certified to teach avalanche education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three of those four guides were killed: Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada; Michael Henry, 30, of Soda Springs; and Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Skilled professionals, colleagues, and friends whose passion for the mountains shaped who we are,” Blackbird said of them in a \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/live-incident-updates\">statement\u003c/a> released Saturday, after all nine victims had been identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird Mountain Guides did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Blais did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A trusted name in the backcountry community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Blackbird had more than 270 Google reviews at the time of the accident; all of them five-star. \u003cem>CapRadio\u003c/em> reached out to more than a dozen former Blackbird customers in the wake of the avalanche. Most declined to comment. Those who did speak described guides as meticulous, knowledgeable and genuinely invested in safety education rather than pushing clients toward risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Stenerson, a Tahoe-area snowboarder who took an AIARE Level 2 avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/collections/avalanche-courses/products/aiare-2-avalanche-course-in-tahoe?variant=50504992260395\">course\u003c/a> with Blackbird, said the experience was thorough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the beginning, they were very knowledgeable, very smart, very professional and very friendly,” Stenerson said. “There’s no question in my mind that they were doing their best job. I would 100% have recommended them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castle Peak area is shown in an aerial view on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, near Soda Springs, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reno-based physical therapist and experienced backcountry skier Matthew Oravitz joined a Blackbird-coordinated trip in Japan. He said the guide’s approach was defined by careful communication and clear authority, without any pressure to push beyond comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My experience with them is that they’re very open, but they’re not very persuadable,” Oravitz said. “The guide was clearly in charge. He was comfortable making the final decision with some input from us, but it was never like we could overrule him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oravitz said he still trusts the company enough that, despite the accident, he is moving forward with a summer rock climbing trip to Chamonix, France — and plans to request Blais as his guide. “When I worked with Blackbird, I felt like they were experts and they did the work to get there,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The trip\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The group was on a three-day excursion to the Frog Lake Huts, a backcountry cabin complex northwest of Truckee owned by the Truckee Donner Land Trust. The huts are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwFKSiLlO2o\">well-appointed\u003c/a> for a backcountry setting with a commercial kitchen, communal dining hall and heated sleeping quarters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/collections/ski-splitboard/products/frog-lake-huts?variant=51070530552107\">lists\u003c/a> the trip for as much as $1,165 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The terrain surrounding the huts, per Blackbird’s own listing, ranges from intermediate to expert level and requires participants to have a minimum of 20 days of prior backcountry experience. Clients were required to bring their own avalanche safety gear: beacon, shovel, and probe; group safety equipment was provided by the guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074382\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts-160x70.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A screenshot of the Frog Lake Huts trip advertised on the Blackbird Mountain Guides website.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The group departed Sunday, Feb 15. On Tuesday morning, as conditions deteriorated, the group decided to leave early, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said Saturday, trying to get off the mountain ahead of the weather. The route they were on when the avalanche struck was described by officials as “a normally traveled route.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A 911 call came in at approximately 11:30 a.m. The avalanche was \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/observations/avalanches/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b#/avalanche/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b\">classified\u003c/a> as a D2.5, on a \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/avalanche/avalanche-problems/avalanche-size/destructive-force-d-scale/\">scale\u003c/a> where a D2 is powerful enough to bury a person and a D3 can destroy a house. Its path was roughly the size of a football field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the 15 people in the group, two individuals near the rear were not swept away, according to early reports from the sheriff’s office. Twelve were buried. Nine of them did not survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Haack, the survivors had already located three of the buried victims by the time the first rescue teams made contact at 5:30 p.m., working through what officials described as white-out conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A warning the company helped spread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Blackbird Mountain Guides did not shy away from the fact that it operates trips in inclement weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do not expect a trip to be cancelled due to weather. Unless we specifically cancel the trip, please assume the trip will run regardless of weather,” the company’s \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/policies\">policies page\u003c/a> reads, adding that both California and Washington State “have severe weather that can make travel extremely difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The page also specifies that refunds cannot be given due to weather, environmental conditions “or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control that causes a trip to be cancelled.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers the roof of the Nevada County Sheriff’s office on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The victims’ families said the friend group had organized their trip to the Frog Lake Huts “well in advance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Publicly, Blackbird often posted about \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/backcountry-ski-splitboard\">backcountry skiing\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/avalanche-education\">avalanche education\u003c/a>. A backcountry skiing post authored by Blais in \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/backcountry-ski-splitboard/tips-for-safe-early-season-backcountry-skiing\">November 2025\u003c/a> outlined a recommended gear checklist, including an avalanche beacon, helmet and first aid kit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The post tells skiers to track snow and weather patterns, check regional avalanche centers — including the Sierra, East Sierra and Mt. Shasta avalanche centers — for advisories, and to practice avalanche rescue with travel partners.[aside postID=science_2000137 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1020x678.jpg']The Sierra Avalanche Center had posted an avalanche watch on Sunday, Feb. 15, the same day the 15-person group set out for Frog Lake. That was upgraded to an avalanche warning on Tuesday, hours before the deadly slide swept the skiers away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s social media accounts also include multiple posts about snow conditions in the region, with guides performing compression tests out in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/896103729865191\">video posted Feb. 15\u003c/a> from the Mt. Rose area of Nevada warns of a “big storm incoming” and noted a weak layer of snow, which “could lead to some unpredictable avalanches.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/33745716301742707\">video from Feb. 13\u003c/a>, filmed in the North Lake Tahoe area, showed a guide executing a compression test on the snow and said to “watch out for that weak layer!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest, confirmed the avalanche had occurred when “a persistent weak layer had a large load of snow over the top of it.” The precise scenario Blackbird’s own post had flagged days earlier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether and how the guides weighed those conditions against the decision to proceed remains under investigation. Moon said the company had been cooperative. “Those are the decisions the guide company clearly had made,” she said Wednesday. “We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird required participants to carry trip insurance on its international excursions, including $250,000 in evacuation and repatriation coverage and $50,000 in medical coverage. But this insurance was only recommended for clients on domestic trips.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The victims\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The six clients who died were Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs; Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco; and Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae. They were part of a group of eight friends who had organized the trip together, all of them experienced backcountry skiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a joint statement, their families described them as “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains” who “trusted their professional guides on this trip” and “were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074001\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Avalanche victims (clockwise from top left) Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley and Caroline Sekar. \u003ccite>(Family Handout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said some of the victims were family friends, called the event “the most devastating avalanche, in terms of loss of life, we’ve ever experienced” in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These were some experienced guides that were out there,” he said. “And that’s what’s even more concerning and disturbing about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Questions remain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health confirmed it has opened a workplace safety investigation into Blackbird. State law requires Cal/OSHA to complete its investigation within six months and issue citations if it finds violations. The agency has not provided additional details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to how companies like Blackbird are regulated, the picture is murky. California has no dedicated professional license for backcountry ski guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is no state board that certifies them, no mandatory credential required to legally lead paying clients into avalanche terrain. The AMGA certifications and AIARE instructor designations that Blackbird’s guides carried are industry standards, widely expected by clients and insurers, but they are not legally required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What regulation does exist comes primarily through other channels. Guide companies operating on federal public lands, which include most of the Sierra Nevada backcountry, must \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/contracts-commercial-permits/special-use-permit-application\">obtain\u003c/a> special use permits or outfitter authorizations from land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service. Those permits impose insurance and safety requirements, but they are not professional licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A search of OSHA’s complaint \u003ca href=\"https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.search?p_logger=1&establishment=blackbird&State=all&officetype=all&Office=all&sitezip=&p_case=all&p_violations_exist=all&startmonth=02&startday=22&startyear=2021&endmonth=02&endday=22&endyear=2026\">database\u003c/a> found no prior complaints against Blackbird. California Secretary of State records show the company’s LLC paperwork is current.[aside postID=news_12074177 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021726_avalancherescuers-p.jpg']Both Stenerson and Oravitz pushed back on the rush to blame that emerged online in the days after the slide. Neither had been on this trip, but both had traveled with Blackbird, and they kept returning to the same point: the mountains don’t yield, even to expertise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people are casting judgment, they really have no idea what they’re talking about,” Stenerson said. “You can’t predict everything with 100% certainty. You use a handful of tools and your own risk tolerance to make the best decision you can. Unfortunately, this time it was a very sad outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oravitz put it another way, on what it means to trust someone else’s expertise in a domain where certainty isn’t possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody goes out there for this outcome, and if you weren’t part of that group, everything that you’re doing is speculative and based on unvalidated assumptions,” he said. “That is the worst way to understand what is ultimately a tragedy for individuals, family and a community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a question Blais himself had tried to answer publicly, two years before the mountain answered it for him. In that 2024 podcast interview, he described the transceiver not as a symbol of danger, but of commitment. The one tool a guide straps on at the trailhead and doesn’t remove until the day is done, the thing that remains when everything else fails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We like to say, on at the car, off at the bar,” he said. “Number one is just choosing the right terrain for the conditions and avoiding avalanches in the first place. There’s a lot of uncertainty. So that’s why we rely on the transceiver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All nine victims were wearing theirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sarit Laschinsky contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Blackbird Mountain Guides was the most prolific avalanche education provider in North America. Then one of its own trips became California’s deadliest avalanche. A closer look at the company at the center of the tragedy.",
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"title": "Blackbird Mountain Guides Was Built on Avalanche Safety, Then One Struck | KQED",
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"headline": "Blackbird Mountain Guides Was Built on Avalanche Safety, Then One Struck",
"datePublished": "2026-02-24T12:00:04-08:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Zebulon “Zeb” Blais has skied six of the seven continents, summited Mount Everest twice, and built what would become a leading provider of avalanche education in North America. He holds the highest professional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/avalanche\">avalanche\u003c/a> certifications available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also knows, firsthand, what it feels like to be buried by one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the morning of Feb. 17, an avalanche swept through a 15-person group near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada — four of them guides from Blais’ company, Blackbird Mountain Guides — as they returned from a three-day backcountry ski trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074292/all-9-tahoe-avalanche-victims-identified-and-bodies-recovered\">Nine people are dead\u003c/a>, including three of Blackbird’s own guides. It’s the deadliest avalanche in modern California history, and it struck a company that built its identity around the idea that preparation, training and sound judgment could keep people alive in exactly this kind of terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had some close calls with avalanches,” Blais said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theuiaa.org/mountainvoices/\">2024 episode\u003c/a> of Mountain Voices, a podcast series from the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, where he described being buried in the snow. “And what it comes down to is really it’s all about human factors and decision making. We typically have a good idea of when the snowpack is unstable. We can read the forecast, we can see that a storm just came in, and we ignore it because of pressure from our group, pressure we put on ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tragedy has thrust Blackbird into the center of a painful and still-unresolved question that even its founder had already tried to answer out loud: How does something like this happen to people who seemed to know better than almost anyone what the mountains can do?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is Blackbird\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Founded by Blais in 2020, Truckee-based Blackbird Mountain Guides offers mountaineering courses, backcountry ski trips, and guided expeditions in California, Washington and internationally. It is not a casual operation. By one key industry measure, it was the most significant avalanche education provider in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2024, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education named Blackbird the most prolific AIARE provider in North America for the 2023-2024 season. They trained more students and ran more avalanche courses than any other provider in the US.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074295\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074295\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalanche1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People observe a moment of silence during a vigil for the 9 people who died in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“For years, founder Zeb Blais and the Blackbird team have worked tirelessly to gain the trust of thousands of students, one small group at a time,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blackbird-guides_aiare-avalancheeducation-moststudentstrained-activity-7249501211681251328-1pxS/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABMr-DsB5AD_QyGOwGqwFicqPX-yXqy-wRE\">LinkedIn post\u003c/a> at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The credentials of Blackbird’s guide team reflect that identity. Of the 39 guides listed on the company’s website before February’s avalanche, 35 carry Wilderness First Responder \u003ca href=\"https://nasar.org/page/WFR\">certifications\u003c/a>. Thirty-five are listed as AIARE Course Leaders — \u003ca href=\"https://avtraining.org/course-leader-training/\">certified\u003c/a> to teach avalanche safety courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven hold AIARE’s highest level of avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://avtraining.org/pro/\">certification\u003c/a>. Eight hold the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations/American Mountain Guide \u003ca href=\"https://www.amga.com/programs/mountain-guide-programs\">designation\u003c/a>, regarded as the gold standard in international mountain guiding. Twelve are AMGA \u003ca href=\"https://www.amga.com/programs/mountain-guide-programs/ski-guide-program\">Certified\u003c/a> Ski Guides.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The AIARE designations require multi-day, field-based training and formal assessment in avalanche terrain, including rescue scenarios and hazard evaluation. Course Leaders are authorized not just to take classes, but to teach them and mentor other instructors. The highest avalanche certifications in AIARE’s professional track are typically earned only after years of field experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similarly, AMGA certifications require a multi-year progression of documented guiding days, technical exams and in-person assessments in alpine, rock and ski terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law does not require those credentials to guide paying clients in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/avalanche\">avalanche\u003c/a> terrain, but within the industry, they function as markers of advanced professional competence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All four guides on the Castle Peak trip reportedly carried those kinds of credentials. In a statement released Wednesday, Blais said they were all AMGA-trained or certified and AIARE instructors, certified to teach avalanche education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three of those four guides were killed: Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada; Michael Henry, 30, of Soda Springs; and Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Skilled professionals, colleagues, and friends whose passion for the mountains shaped who we are,” Blackbird said of them in a \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/live-incident-updates\">statement\u003c/a> released Saturday, after all nine victims had been identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird Mountain Guides did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Blais did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A trusted name in the backcountry community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Blackbird had more than 270 Google reviews at the time of the accident; all of them five-star. \u003cem>CapRadio\u003c/em> reached out to more than a dozen former Blackbird customers in the wake of the avalanche. Most declined to comment. Those who did speak described guides as meticulous, knowledgeable and genuinely invested in safety education rather than pushing clients toward risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Stenerson, a Tahoe-area snowboarder who took an AIARE Level 2 avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/collections/avalanche-courses/products/aiare-2-avalanche-course-in-tahoe?variant=50504992260395\">course\u003c/a> with Blackbird, said the experience was thorough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the beginning, they were very knowledgeable, very smart, very professional and very friendly,” Stenerson said. “There’s no question in my mind that they were doing their best job. I would 100% have recommended them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castle Peak area is shown in an aerial view on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, near Soda Springs, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reno-based physical therapist and experienced backcountry skier Matthew Oravitz joined a Blackbird-coordinated trip in Japan. He said the guide’s approach was defined by careful communication and clear authority, without any pressure to push beyond comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My experience with them is that they’re very open, but they’re not very persuadable,” Oravitz said. “The guide was clearly in charge. He was comfortable making the final decision with some input from us, but it was never like we could overrule him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oravitz said he still trusts the company enough that, despite the accident, he is moving forward with a summer rock climbing trip to Chamonix, France — and plans to request Blais as his guide. “When I worked with Blackbird, I felt like they were experts and they did the work to get there,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The trip\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The group was on a three-day excursion to the Frog Lake Huts, a backcountry cabin complex northwest of Truckee owned by the Truckee Donner Land Trust. The huts are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwFKSiLlO2o\">well-appointed\u003c/a> for a backcountry setting with a commercial kitchen, communal dining hall and heated sleeping quarters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/collections/ski-splitboard/products/frog-lake-huts?variant=51070530552107\">lists\u003c/a> the trip for as much as $1,165 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The terrain surrounding the huts, per Blackbird’s own listing, ranges from intermediate to expert level and requires participants to have a minimum of 20 days of prior backcountry experience. Clients were required to bring their own avalanche safety gear: beacon, shovel, and probe; group safety equipment was provided by the guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074382\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022326_frog-lake-huts-160x70.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A screenshot of the Frog Lake Huts trip advertised on the Blackbird Mountain Guides website.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The group departed Sunday, Feb 15. On Tuesday morning, as conditions deteriorated, the group decided to leave early, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said Saturday, trying to get off the mountain ahead of the weather. The route they were on when the avalanche struck was described by officials as “a normally traveled route.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A 911 call came in at approximately 11:30 a.m. The avalanche was \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/observations/avalanches/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b#/avalanche/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b\">classified\u003c/a> as a D2.5, on a \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/avalanche/avalanche-problems/avalanche-size/destructive-force-d-scale/\">scale\u003c/a> where a D2 is powerful enough to bury a person and a D3 can destroy a house. Its path was roughly the size of a football field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the 15 people in the group, two individuals near the rear were not swept away, according to early reports from the sheriff’s office. Twelve were buried. Nine of them did not survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Haack, the survivors had already located three of the buried victims by the time the first rescue teams made contact at 5:30 p.m., working through what officials described as white-out conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A warning the company helped spread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Blackbird Mountain Guides did not shy away from the fact that it operates trips in inclement weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do not expect a trip to be cancelled due to weather. Unless we specifically cancel the trip, please assume the trip will run regardless of weather,” the company’s \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/policies\">policies page\u003c/a> reads, adding that both California and Washington State “have severe weather that can make travel extremely difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The page also specifies that refunds cannot be given due to weather, environmental conditions “or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control that causes a trip to be cancelled.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers the roof of the Nevada County Sheriff’s office on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The victims’ families said the friend group had organized their trip to the Frog Lake Huts “well in advance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Publicly, Blackbird often posted about \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/backcountry-ski-splitboard\">backcountry skiing\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/avalanche-education\">avalanche education\u003c/a>. A backcountry skiing post authored by Blais in \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/backcountry-ski-splitboard/tips-for-safe-early-season-backcountry-skiing\">November 2025\u003c/a> outlined a recommended gear checklist, including an avalanche beacon, helmet and first aid kit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The post tells skiers to track snow and weather patterns, check regional avalanche centers — including the Sierra, East Sierra and Mt. Shasta avalanche centers — for advisories, and to practice avalanche rescue with travel partners.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center had posted an avalanche watch on Sunday, Feb. 15, the same day the 15-person group set out for Frog Lake. That was upgraded to an avalanche warning on Tuesday, hours before the deadly slide swept the skiers away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s social media accounts also include multiple posts about snow conditions in the region, with guides performing compression tests out in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/896103729865191\">video posted Feb. 15\u003c/a> from the Mt. Rose area of Nevada warns of a “big storm incoming” and noted a weak layer of snow, which “could lead to some unpredictable avalanches.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/33745716301742707\">video from Feb. 13\u003c/a>, filmed in the North Lake Tahoe area, showed a guide executing a compression test on the snow and said to “watch out for that weak layer!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest, confirmed the avalanche had occurred when “a persistent weak layer had a large load of snow over the top of it.” The precise scenario Blackbird’s own post had flagged days earlier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether and how the guides weighed those conditions against the decision to proceed remains under investigation. Moon said the company had been cooperative. “Those are the decisions the guide company clearly had made,” she said Wednesday. “We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird required participants to carry trip insurance on its international excursions, including $250,000 in evacuation and repatriation coverage and $50,000 in medical coverage. But this insurance was only recommended for clients on domestic trips.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The victims\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The six clients who died were Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs; Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco; and Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae. They were part of a group of eight friends who had organized the trip together, all of them experienced backcountry skiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a joint statement, their families described them as “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains” who “trusted their professional guides on this trip” and “were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074001\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Avalanche victims (clockwise from top left) Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley and Caroline Sekar. \u003ccite>(Family Handout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said some of the victims were family friends, called the event “the most devastating avalanche, in terms of loss of life, we’ve ever experienced” in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These were some experienced guides that were out there,” he said. “And that’s what’s even more concerning and disturbing about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Questions remain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health confirmed it has opened a workplace safety investigation into Blackbird. State law requires Cal/OSHA to complete its investigation within six months and issue citations if it finds violations. The agency has not provided additional details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to how companies like Blackbird are regulated, the picture is murky. California has no dedicated professional license for backcountry ski guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is no state board that certifies them, no mandatory credential required to legally lead paying clients into avalanche terrain. The AMGA certifications and AIARE instructor designations that Blackbird’s guides carried are industry standards, widely expected by clients and insurers, but they are not legally required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What regulation does exist comes primarily through other channels. Guide companies operating on federal public lands, which include most of the Sierra Nevada backcountry, must \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/contracts-commercial-permits/special-use-permit-application\">obtain\u003c/a> special use permits or outfitter authorizations from land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service. Those permits impose insurance and safety requirements, but they are not professional licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A search of OSHA’s complaint \u003ca href=\"https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.search?p_logger=1&establishment=blackbird&State=all&officetype=all&Office=all&sitezip=&p_case=all&p_violations_exist=all&startmonth=02&startday=22&startyear=2021&endmonth=02&endday=22&endyear=2026\">database\u003c/a> found no prior complaints against Blackbird. California Secretary of State records show the company’s LLC paperwork is current.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Both Stenerson and Oravitz pushed back on the rush to blame that emerged online in the days after the slide. Neither had been on this trip, but both had traveled with Blackbird, and they kept returning to the same point: the mountains don’t yield, even to expertise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people are casting judgment, they really have no idea what they’re talking about,” Stenerson said. “You can’t predict everything with 100% certainty. You use a handful of tools and your own risk tolerance to make the best decision you can. Unfortunately, this time it was a very sad outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oravitz put it another way, on what it means to trust someone else’s expertise in a domain where certainty isn’t possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody goes out there for this outcome, and if you weren’t part of that group, everything that you’re doing is speculative and based on unvalidated assumptions,” he said. “That is the worst way to understand what is ultimately a tragedy for individuals, family and a community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a question Blais himself had tried to answer publicly, two years before the mountain answered it for him. In that 2024 podcast interview, he described the transceiver not as a symbol of danger, but of commitment. The one tool a guide straps on at the trailhead and doesn’t remove until the day is done, the thing that remains when everything else fails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We like to say, on at the car, off at the bar,” he said. “Number one is just choosing the right terrain for the conditions and avoiding avalanches in the first place. There’s a lot of uncertainty. So that’s why we rely on the transceiver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All nine victims were wearing theirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sarit Laschinsky contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The names of three backcountry ski guides who died in last week’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000137/could-climate-change-reshape-avalanche-danger-in-the-sierra-nevada-scientists-say-its-complicated\">Tahoe avalanche\u003c/a> — now the deadliest in modern California history — have been released by the guiding company they worked for, and the bodies of all nine victims have been recovered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Blackbird Mountain Guides employees who were killed are Andrew Alissandratos of Verdi, Nevada; Nicole Choo of South Lake Tahoe; and Michael Henry of Soda Springs, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird’s news release said they were each “skilled professionals, colleagues, and friends whose passion for the mountains shaped who we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their bodies and those of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073851/tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know-about-the-victims\">six clients\u003c/a> who died — all women and many of them from the Bay Area — were recovered Friday and Saturday from the site of the avalanche near Tahoe’s Donner Summit, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The recovery was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">initially delayed\u003c/a> by bad weather, but on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office and PG&E conducted avalanche mitigation work, Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Hack said at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/KCRA3/videos/1572869143932784\">press conference\u003c/a> on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castle Peak area is shown in an aerial view on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, near Soda Springs, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Search-and-rescue personnel from the California Highway Patrol recovered five of the bodies and found the remains of a final missing skier who had been presumed dead. They and the California National Guard recovered the remaining bodies on Saturday, Hack said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the Tahoe-area city of Truckee held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kunr.org/live-updates/lake-tahoe-avalanche\">vigil in honor of the avalanche victims\u003c/a>. KUNR reported more than 100 people attended, leaving flowers, origami peace cranes and written messages.[aside postID=news_12074158 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/GettyImages-2206235259.jpg']After a brief closure to support search-and-rescue operations, the area of the Tahoe National Forest where the slide occurred was \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1389731249862819&set=a.308275298008425&locale=mt_MT\">reopened on Monday\u003c/a> by the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We extend our deepest sympathies to the individuals and families impacted by this tragic backcountry incident, and we grieve with our community,” Tahoe National Forest Supervisor Chris Feutrier wrote in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KQED on Friday that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074177/california-authorities-launch-investigation-of-criminal-negligence-in-deadly-tahoe-avalanche\">launched an investigation\u003c/a> into Blackbird Mountain Guides “to determine if there were any factors that would be considered criminal negligence.” The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has opened a separate investigation, the department confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird has not responded to KQED’s request for comment on the investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The names of three backcountry ski guides who died in last week’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000137/could-climate-change-reshape-avalanche-danger-in-the-sierra-nevada-scientists-say-its-complicated\">Tahoe avalanche\u003c/a> — now the deadliest in modern California history — have been released by the guiding company they worked for, and the bodies of all nine victims have been recovered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Blackbird Mountain Guides employees who were killed are Andrew Alissandratos of Verdi, Nevada; Nicole Choo of South Lake Tahoe; and Michael Henry of Soda Springs, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird’s news release said they were each “skilled professionals, colleagues, and friends whose passion for the mountains shaped who we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their bodies and those of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073851/tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know-about-the-victims\">six clients\u003c/a> who died — all women and many of them from the Bay Area — were recovered Friday and Saturday from the site of the avalanche near Tahoe’s Donner Summit, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The recovery was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">initially delayed\u003c/a> by bad weather, but on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office and PG&E conducted avalanche mitigation work, Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Hack said at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/KCRA3/videos/1572869143932784\">press conference\u003c/a> on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castle Peak area is shown in an aerial view on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, near Soda Springs, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Search-and-rescue personnel from the California Highway Patrol recovered five of the bodies and found the remains of a final missing skier who had been presumed dead. They and the California National Guard recovered the remaining bodies on Saturday, Hack said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, the Tahoe-area city of Truckee held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kunr.org/live-updates/lake-tahoe-avalanche\">vigil in honor of the avalanche victims\u003c/a>. KUNR reported more than 100 people attended, leaving flowers, origami peace cranes and written messages.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After a brief closure to support search-and-rescue operations, the area of the Tahoe National Forest where the slide occurred was \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1389731249862819&set=a.308275298008425&locale=mt_MT\">reopened on Monday\u003c/a> by the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We extend our deepest sympathies to the individuals and families impacted by this tragic backcountry incident, and we grieve with our community,” Tahoe National Forest Supervisor Chris Feutrier wrote in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KQED on Friday that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074177/california-authorities-launch-investigation-of-criminal-negligence-in-deadly-tahoe-avalanche\">launched an investigation\u003c/a> into Blackbird Mountain Guides “to determine if there were any factors that would be considered criminal negligence.” The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has opened a separate investigation, the department confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackbird has not responded to KQED’s request for comment on the investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Local and state authorities are investigating whether criminal negligence was involved in the backcountry skiing trip caught up in Tuesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">deadly avalanche in Lake Tahoe\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The avalanche on Tuesday, the deadliest in modern California history, buried a group of 15 skiers who were part of a three-day guided backcountry tour in the Donner Summit region. Six of the skiers were rescued Tuesday night, while\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073851/tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know-about-the-victims\"> eight have been confirmed dead\u003c/a>, and a ninth is still missing but presumed dead. The victims include six mothers and three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, an outdoor adventure company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in an email that it was conducting a “standard investigation,” and that it is too early to know if criminal charges would be applicable. In a statement, Cal/OSHA said it was also investigating and has up to six months to complete that examination and issue any citations for “violations of workplace safety regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While questions surrounding what preceded the incident have already begun to arise, snow and ski safety consultant Mark Di Nola said whether the company can be found liable will depend on what those investigations determine regarding what operators knew about weather and terrain conditions throughout the trip, and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is a big storm foreseeable? Yes. Did they know about it? We don’t know when. Did the avalanche danger increase during that period of time? The investigation will bear that out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to family members, the group that was caught in Tuesday’s avalanche had traveled to Lake Tahoe last week for the two-night backcountry hut trip from the Bay Area, Truckee and as far as Idaho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers the roof of the Nevada County Sheriff’s office on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the families of the victims wrote in a statement. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group of 11 skiers and four guides had departed for the Frog Lake Huts near Castle Peak on Sunday, despite warnings from the Sierra Avalanche Center that a “strong winter storm” was expected to begin in the evening, bringing feet of snow to the region on Monday and Tuesday. A twelfth member of the group backed out of the trip before they left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the day Sunday and into the week, weather conditions in Tahoe became significantly more perilous. More than 28 inches of snow fell around the Donner Summit on Monday, according to UC Berkeley’s Sierra Snow Lab, and Donner Ski Ranch reported another 26 inches on Tuesday. The snow shuttered Interstate 80 for much of the early week, and some ski resorts closed on Tuesday due to the storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon, the group was travelling out of the backcountry, coming back to the trailhead when they encountered the avalanche midday Tuesday.[aside postID=news_12073851 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg']“Anytime you go in the back country with lots of new snow, it’s risky,” Di Nola, a ski industry investigations consultant for more than 20 years, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said that most guide companies require participants to sign liability waivers that acknowledge that risk, and that guides who lead these trips have generally received applicable training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Blackbird Mountain Guides to be found liable, he said, investigations or potential lawsuits against the company that could emerge would have to find that the company acted “recklessly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lawyers would look at this and say, releases are signed … expected they don’t release negligence that is reckless or more than just normal,” Di Nola told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said an investigation may look into when the group decided to depart the Frog Lake Huts on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a reason why you hire an organization to guide you in these situations,” Di Nola said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If there was a decision … to move these people [and] at that time, they had knowledge of an increased avalanche danger, yeah, that’s a jury question, and it’s a question for a judge,” he continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement issued Wednesday, Blackbird founder Zeb Blais said guides in the field were American Mountain Guides Association-trained or certified in backcountry skiing, and each was an instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. The company offers courses in “Avalanche Education” and avalanche rescue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blais also said that guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at the company’s base “to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company, which operates in Northern California and Washington, has suspended its field operations in Tahoe through Saturday at least, and said it could extend that into the next few weeks, and the U.S. National Service has closed the national forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area through mid-March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Friday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is still conducting its search and rescue operation and has not yet been able to recover the bodies of the eight deceased.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do. In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts,” Blais wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Local and state authorities are investigating whether criminal negligence was involved in the backcountry skiing trip caught up in Tuesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">deadly avalanche in Lake Tahoe\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The avalanche on Tuesday, the deadliest in modern California history, buried a group of 15 skiers who were part of a three-day guided backcountry tour in the Donner Summit region. Six of the skiers were rescued Tuesday night, while\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073851/tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know-about-the-victims\"> eight have been confirmed dead\u003c/a>, and a ninth is still missing but presumed dead. The victims include six mothers and three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, an outdoor adventure company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in an email that it was conducting a “standard investigation,” and that it is too early to know if criminal charges would be applicable. In a statement, Cal/OSHA said it was also investigating and has up to six months to complete that examination and issue any citations for “violations of workplace safety regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While questions surrounding what preceded the incident have already begun to arise, snow and ski safety consultant Mark Di Nola said whether the company can be found liable will depend on what those investigations determine regarding what operators knew about weather and terrain conditions throughout the trip, and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is a big storm foreseeable? Yes. Did they know about it? We don’t know when. Did the avalanche danger increase during that period of time? The investigation will bear that out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to family members, the group that was caught in Tuesday’s avalanche had traveled to Lake Tahoe last week for the two-night backcountry hut trip from the Bay Area, Truckee and as far as Idaho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers the roof of the Nevada County Sheriff’s office on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the families of the victims wrote in a statement. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group of 11 skiers and four guides had departed for the Frog Lake Huts near Castle Peak on Sunday, despite warnings from the Sierra Avalanche Center that a “strong winter storm” was expected to begin in the evening, bringing feet of snow to the region on Monday and Tuesday. A twelfth member of the group backed out of the trip before they left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the day Sunday and into the week, weather conditions in Tahoe became significantly more perilous. More than 28 inches of snow fell around the Donner Summit on Monday, according to UC Berkeley’s Sierra Snow Lab, and Donner Ski Ranch reported another 26 inches on Tuesday. The snow shuttered Interstate 80 for much of the early week, and some ski resorts closed on Tuesday due to the storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon, the group was travelling out of the backcountry, coming back to the trailhead when they encountered the avalanche midday Tuesday.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Anytime you go in the back country with lots of new snow, it’s risky,” Di Nola, a ski industry investigations consultant for more than 20 years, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said that most guide companies require participants to sign liability waivers that acknowledge that risk, and that guides who lead these trips have generally received applicable training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Blackbird Mountain Guides to be found liable, he said, investigations or potential lawsuits against the company that could emerge would have to find that the company acted “recklessly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lawyers would look at this and say, releases are signed … expected they don’t release negligence that is reckless or more than just normal,” Di Nola told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said an investigation may look into when the group decided to depart the Frog Lake Huts on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a reason why you hire an organization to guide you in these situations,” Di Nola said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If there was a decision … to move these people [and] at that time, they had knowledge of an increased avalanche danger, yeah, that’s a jury question, and it’s a question for a judge,” he continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement issued Wednesday, Blackbird founder Zeb Blais said guides in the field were American Mountain Guides Association-trained or certified in backcountry skiing, and each was an instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. The company offers courses in “Avalanche Education” and avalanche rescue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blais also said that guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at the company’s base “to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company, which operates in Northern California and Washington, has suspended its field operations in Tahoe through Saturday at least, and said it could extend that into the next few weeks, and the U.S. National Service has closed the national forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area through mid-March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Friday, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is still conducting its search and rescue operation and has not yet been able to recover the bodies of the eight deceased.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do. In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts,” Blais wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "6 Women Killed in Tahoe Avalanche Identified, Recovery Still Delayed by ‘Treacherous’ Conditions",
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"content": "\u003cp>Six women who were killed in this week’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">avalanche in the Sierra Nevada\u003c/a> were identified as close friends and skilled skiers from the Bay Area, Truckee region and Idaho, according to a statement Thursday from their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are devastated beyond words,” read the statement, released by a spokesperson for the families. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Authorities have confirmed eight deaths in what has become the deadliest avalanche in modern California history, and a ninth person who is missing is presumed dead. Six others, who were part of a three-day backcountry skiing group staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak, were rescued amid extreme weather conditions Tuesday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to hazardous winter storm conditions, it will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies of those who were killed, California authorities said Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With around a foot of snow expected to fall in high elevations around Lake Tahoe by Thursday night, and avalanche warning still in effect through Friday morning, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the recovery of the avalanche victims is likely “to carry into the weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Due to hazardous weather conditions, avalanche victims cannot be safely extracted off the mountain today,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sugar Bowl Academy, an elite ski club in Placer County, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sbacademy.org/media-statements\">confirmed\u003c/a> in a statement that some of its community members are among those who were caught in the avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/02/18/castle-peak-avalanche-what-we-know-so-far/\">confirmed to CapRadio\u003c/a> on Thursday that it has launched an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides, the Truckee-based guiding company involved in the incident. In a statement, Cal/OSHA said that “the agency has up to six months to complete an investigation and issue citations if violations of workplace safety regulations are identified.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday night, Blackbird said in a statement that the group’s four guides were trained or certified in backcountry skiing by the American Mountain Guides Association and are instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.[aside postID=news_12073690 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP1.jpg']“In addition, guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions,” founder Zeb Blais said. “There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED has reached out to Blackbird for comment on the Cal/OSHA investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a Wednesday \u003ca href=\"https://fb.watch/Fnjpz8dZTL/\">press conference\u003c/a> that rescuers had to ski in two miles to locate the surviving members of the group during “extreme conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the avalanche area, which was the size of a football field, according to Sheriff’s Capt. Rusty Greene has been “reloaded” with snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that risks reburying the victims, it’s also a major risk to the recovery team, Greene said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The longer that we continue to have people out there and exposed, the higher chance we put our rescuers in danger,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Friday’s \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=CAZ072\">forecast \u003c/a>shows the storm subsiding\u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=CAZ072\">,\u003c/a> Sierra Avalanche Center executive director David Reichel said the threat to the Tahoe area remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073961\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Motorists stuck in the snow are aided by a member of the California Highway Patrol along Interstate 80 during a storm on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, near Camp Spaulding in Placer County, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Most avalanche accidents actually occur on ‘considerable’ or ‘moderate’ days,” he said, referring to the center’s rating system. “The avalanche danger could decrease, and also still be dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reichel said it’s important that anyone considering going into the backcountry check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/avalanche/central-sierra-nevada#/central-sierra-nevada/\">avalanche report\u003c/a> and adjust their plans accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Read more: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">\u003cstrong>Learn how to prepare for avalanches and what to do if you’re caught in one.\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>“I’m a little bit nervous with this weekend and the potential for blue skies and lots of people, understandably, wanting to enjoy new snow,” he said. “We still need to make good decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo went one step further at Wednesday’s press conference, warning visitors to “avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days,” he said. During Tuesday’s rescue attempt, some emergency responders were pulled away from the search due to other reports of skiers in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Avoid mountain travel — it’s treacherous,” he said. “Avoid the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/eromero\">\u003cem>Ezra David Romero\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The women were close friends and skilled skiers from the Bay Area, Truckee region and Idaho, their families said. Meanwhile, California officials warned of high avalanche risks in the coming days. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Six women who were killed in this week’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">avalanche in the Sierra Nevada\u003c/a> were identified as close friends and skilled skiers from the Bay Area, Truckee region and Idaho, according to a statement Thursday from their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are devastated beyond words,” read the statement, released by a spokesperson for the families. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Authorities have confirmed eight deaths in what has become the deadliest avalanche in modern California history, and a ninth person who is missing is presumed dead. Six others, who were part of a three-day backcountry skiing group staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak, were rescued amid extreme weather conditions Tuesday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to hazardous winter storm conditions, it will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies of those who were killed, California authorities said Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With around a foot of snow expected to fall in high elevations around Lake Tahoe by Thursday night, and avalanche warning still in effect through Friday morning, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the recovery of the avalanche victims is likely “to carry into the weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073957\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073957\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Due to hazardous weather conditions, avalanche victims cannot be safely extracted off the mountain today,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sugar Bowl Academy, an elite ski club in Placer County, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sbacademy.org/media-statements\">confirmed\u003c/a> in a statement that some of its community members are among those who were caught in the avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/02/18/castle-peak-avalanche-what-we-know-so-far/\">confirmed to CapRadio\u003c/a> on Thursday that it has launched an investigation into Blackbird Mountain Guides, the Truckee-based guiding company involved in the incident. In a statement, Cal/OSHA said that “the agency has up to six months to complete an investigation and issue citations if violations of workplace safety regulations are identified.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday night, Blackbird said in a statement that the group’s four guides were trained or certified in backcountry skiing by the American Mountain Guides Association and are instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“In addition, guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions,” founder Zeb Blais said. “There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED has reached out to Blackbird for comment on the Cal/OSHA investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a Wednesday \u003ca href=\"https://fb.watch/Fnjpz8dZTL/\">press conference\u003c/a> that rescuers had to ski in two miles to locate the surviving members of the group during “extreme conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the avalanche area, which was the size of a football field, according to Sheriff’s Capt. Rusty Greene has been “reloaded” with snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that risks reburying the victims, it’s also a major risk to the recovery team, Greene said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The longer that we continue to have people out there and exposed, the higher chance we put our rescuers in danger,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Friday’s \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=CAZ072\">forecast \u003c/a>shows the storm subsiding\u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=CAZ072\">,\u003c/a> Sierra Avalanche Center executive director David Reichel said the threat to the Tahoe area remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073961\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SierraAvalanche2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Motorists stuck in the snow are aided by a member of the California Highway Patrol along Interstate 80 during a storm on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, near Camp Spaulding in Placer County, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Most avalanche accidents actually occur on ‘considerable’ or ‘moderate’ days,” he said, referring to the center’s rating system. “The avalanche danger could decrease, and also still be dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reichel said it’s important that anyone considering going into the backcountry check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/avalanche/central-sierra-nevada#/central-sierra-nevada/\">avalanche report\u003c/a> and adjust their plans accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Read more: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">\u003cstrong>Learn how to prepare for avalanches and what to do if you’re caught in one.\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>“I’m a little bit nervous with this weekend and the potential for blue skies and lots of people, understandably, wanting to enjoy new snow,” he said. “We still need to make good decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo went one step further at Wednesday’s press conference, warning visitors to “avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days,” he said. During Tuesday’s rescue attempt, some emergency responders were pulled away from the search due to other reports of skiers in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Avoid mountain travel — it’s treacherous,” he said. “Avoid the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/eromero\">\u003cem>Ezra David Romero\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Six women among those \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">killed in an avalanche\u003c/a> in Tahoe’s backcountry this week were a group of “mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” their families said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a statement from their families released Thursday evening, the victims were:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Danielle Keatley of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Kate Morse of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Kate Vitt of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Caroline Sekar of San Francisco\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Carrie Atkin, a Truckee-Tahoe area resident\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Liz Clabaugh of Boise, Idaho\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Two of the women, Clabaugh and Sekar, were sisters, according to reporting from \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/us/tahoe-avalanche-victims-sisters.html\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which also reported that Vitt was a mother of students who attend elementary school in the Kentfield School District in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFeGnIbhhPE\">public transportation event\u003c/a> on Thursday that some of those from Marin County who were involved in the avalanche were family friends, calling the incident tragic. Newsom said he had previously spent time at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">the Frog Lake huts\u003c/a> where the victims had stayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Larkspur Mayor Stephanie Andre expressed her condolences for the loss of Keatley, who founded Keatley Wines with her husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow comes down on pine trees during a storm on Feb. 18, 2026, in Placer County, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The pair were frequently seen supporting local organizations and sharing their namesake wines at community events,” Andre wrote. “Danielle Keatley was a radiant, beautiful soul. She was warm, kind and exuded a special quality that drew people to her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The families’ statement called the six women “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains” and said they were experienced, trained and fully equipped to be on the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“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 families’ statement reads.[aside postID=science_2000137 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1020x678.jpg']For the community of Truckee, which sits at the base of Donner Summit near where the avalanche occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">news of the deadly avalanche\u003c/a> has been traumatizing, Mayor Anna Klovstad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With just over 17,000 residents, the small mountain town is full of outdoor enthusiasts and recreators, many of whom regularly go into the Castle Peak wilderness, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see Castle Peak from most of Truckee,” Klovstad said. “That’s also where many of us play.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tremendous efforts from local search-and-rescue crews and the community support she’s seen so far have been heartening, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A community vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday in downtown Truckee, and a community grief support listening session is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra College.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An interfaith service is also set to take place at the Church of the Mountains on Monday at 5:30 p.m., and will be followed by drop-in support hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost immediately, members of the community reached out offering their support and wanted to know how they could help,” Klovstad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Six women among those \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">killed in an avalanche\u003c/a> in Tahoe’s backcountry this week were a group of “mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” their families said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a statement from their families released Thursday evening, the victims were:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Danielle Keatley of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Kate Morse of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Kate Vitt of Marin County\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Caroline Sekar of San Francisco\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Carrie Atkin, a Truckee-Tahoe area resident\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Liz Clabaugh of Boise, Idaho\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Two of the women, Clabaugh and Sekar, were sisters, according to reporting from \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/us/tahoe-avalanche-victims-sisters.html\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which also reported that Vitt was a mother of students who attend elementary school in the Kentfield School District in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFeGnIbhhPE\">public transportation event\u003c/a> on Thursday that some of those from Marin County who were involved in the avalanche were family friends, calling the incident tragic. Newsom said he had previously spent time at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">the Frog Lake huts\u003c/a> where the victims had stayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Larkspur Mayor Stephanie Andre expressed her condolences for the loss of Keatley, who founded Keatley Wines with her husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaSnowAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow comes down on pine trees during a storm on Feb. 18, 2026, in Placer County, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The pair were frequently seen supporting local organizations and sharing their namesake wines at community events,” Andre wrote. “Danielle Keatley was a radiant, beautiful soul. She was warm, kind and exuded a special quality that drew people to her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The families’ statement called the six women “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains” and said they were experienced, trained and fully equipped to be on the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“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 families’ statement reads.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For the community of Truckee, which sits at the base of Donner Summit near where the avalanche occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073690/8-skiers-confirmed-dead-1-still-missing-after-tahoe-avalanche-heres-what-we-know\">news of the deadly avalanche\u003c/a> has been traumatizing, Mayor Anna Klovstad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With just over 17,000 residents, the small mountain town is full of outdoor enthusiasts and recreators, many of whom regularly go into the Castle Peak wilderness, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see Castle Peak from most of Truckee,” Klovstad said. “That’s also where many of us play.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tremendous efforts from local search-and-rescue crews and the community support she’s seen so far have been heartening, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A community vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday in downtown Truckee, and a community grief support listening session is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra College.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An interfaith service is also set to take place at the Church of the Mountains on Monday at 5:30 p.m., and will be followed by drop-in support hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost immediately, members of the community reached out offering their support and wanted to know how they could help,” Klovstad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Eight people were killed, and one is still missing, after an avalanche buried a group of 15 backcountry skiers in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tahoe\">Tahoe\u003c/a>’s Donner Summit region on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is now the deadliest avalanche in California’s modern history, surpassing the 1982 avalanche in Alpine Meadows that killed seven people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a 911 call from the survivors around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, about 50 people from surrounding search-and-rescue teams responded, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a press conference Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six of the skiers, who were part of a three-day backcountry skiing group staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak, were rescued amid extreme weather conditions Tuesday night, Moon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First responders used snowcats to get 2 miles from the site of the avalanche before skiing in to rescue survivors, who were trying to shelter amid the storm with the equipment they had on hand. Two were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and one has been released.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Whattodoifyourecaughtinanavalanche\">What to do if you’re caught in an avalanche\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety, where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire,” a sheriff’s spokesperson wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three people were immediately identified as dead on the scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The search for the remaining missing person and recovery for the eight deceased are ongoing Wednesday, pending weather conditions, Moon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073788 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1485\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updates media on rescue efforts following an avalanche at a news conference in Nevada City, California, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tran Nguyen via AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a resource issue as we speak,” Moon said. “It is a weather condition and safety condition for our response teams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initial reports said 16 people went on the trip, but a statement from \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/live-incident-updates\">Blackbird Mountain Guides\u003c/a>, the guiding company involved in the incident, confirmed the group was actually 15 — comprising 11 clients and four guides. Among the survivors, one is a guide and five are clients. All had emergency beacons, and rescuers were communicating with some survivors via text message, according to first responders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nine women and six men were on the trip, with five women and one man among the survivors. Their identities have not been released, but Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said one of those who died is the spouse of a member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a volunteer team that responded to the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has not only been challenging for our community, it’s been a challenging rescue,” Woo said. “It’s also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940130\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11940130\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589.jpg\" alt=\"A creek running through a forest where trees are covered in snow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1388\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-800x578.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-1020x737.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-1536x1110.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh Winter Snow near where the Donner Party saga unfolded. \u003ccite>(Ron and Patty Thomas/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073593/heavy-rain-and-snow-shut-down-roads-across-bay-area-and-sierra-nevada\">A major storm hit the Lake Tahoe region this week\u003c/a>, producing high avalanche danger. While crews continue their search, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/avalanche#/all\">Sierra Avalanche Center\u003c/a> issued an avalanche warning starting Tuesday morning that expires on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning notes high avalanche danger — the fourth level on a five-point scale — and says travel in or around backcountry avalanche terrain is not recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rapidly accumulating snowfall, weak layers in the existing snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains,” the warning reads. “Natural avalanches are likely, and human-triggered avalanches large enough to bury or injure people are very likely.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendy Antibus, education manager at the Sierra Avalanche Center, said the dry conditions all January allowed weak layers to form at the surface of existing snow, creating a slippery surface that’s prime for avalanches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then this week’s sheer volume of snowfall, with more than an inch falling per hour for the past two days, piled on top, said Brian Brong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Reno office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the slope gets steeper and steeper, that snow doesn’t tend to want to stick — it wants to kind of slide down the hill, so that’s where we get the avalanche threat,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with temperatures in the single digits on the mountaintops, that produces light, fluffy snow that can get blown around easily — even a 30 mph wind can create whiteout conditions, he said. The lighter snow leads to more snow drifts, piling up on one side of a mountain and creating a steeper-than-normal slope, prime for avalanche risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073703 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This slide was around a football field in length, said Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It resulted when a persistent weak layer had a large load of snow over the top of it,” he said at the press conference. “That persistent weak layer is still there and has reloaded with another three feet of snow. So the hazard remains high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The slide occurred just one mile away from \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/article/avalanche-kills-snowmobiler-near-lake-tahoe-21279131.php\">another in January\u003c/a>, which killed a person snowmobiling in the backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Bothwell, chief avalanche educator for the Bay Area-based Outdoor Adventure Club, warned that people often have trouble assessing risk in the backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just have to be really, really meticulous about the terrain that we choose to travel on,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s press conference, Woo warned that travel in the Sierra Nevada is not safe right now. “Please avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days,” he said. “Avoid mountain travel — it’s treacherous. Avoid the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whattodoifyourecaughtinanavalanche\">\u003c/a>What to do if you’re caught in an avalanche\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning on heading up to the mountains this winter, keep reading for what to know about avalanches — why they happen, how to prepare for the worst, and what to do if you’re caught in an avalanche yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to be prepared for avalanches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re venturing into the backcountry — which means beyond the boundaries of a ski resort — then you need to take \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-courses/\">an avalanche safety course\u003c/a>. This will give you far more detail in understanding avalanche conditions and rescue protocols.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning to stay primarily in a resort or mountain park, then you should still know the basics — many of which you can learn through the National Avalanche Center’s \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-education/\">free course videos and educational materials on avalanches\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073713 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most important rule is not to venture into closed areas of the resort and not to “duck” under out-of-bounds ropes. Pay attention to any alerts or warnings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/sac-daily-flow-user-guide\">The Sierra Avalanche Center has also created a daily flow guide\u003c/a> for a simple way to understand the best practices when skiing and snowboarding in the Sierra. This includes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Skiing with other people and knowing their abilities in advance\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Knowing the conditions and avalanche risk before you go\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Having a safety and rescue plan and bringing avalanche equipment\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How do I know what the avalanche conditions are?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Check, check, check the forecasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center, along with a number of avalanche experts and offices around the West, puts out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada\">daily forecasts with predicted avalanche dangers\u003c/a> and conditions to watch out for. They also put out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/state-of-the-snowpack/current\">weekly overall updates on the state of the snowpack\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/how-to-read-avalanche-advisory\">reading an avalanche advisory\u003c/a> in detail does require some background knowledge. If you plan to stay within the resorts, then the “bottom line” information (which is listed at the top) supplied in the advisory forecasts should give you the main takeaways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good rule is to pay attention to the warning signs that an avalanche could happen when you’re out in the snow. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/sac-daily-flow-user-guide\">the Sierra Avalanche Center’s daily flow guide\u003c/a>, these include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Recent avalanche activity in the area\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Signs of instability in the snowpack\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Recent “loading” (i.e., storms)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Rapid warming or weather changes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Terrain with a slope greater than 30 degrees\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Terrain or hillsides that match the advisory warnings\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How do avalanches happen?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/avalanche-problems\">different kinds of avalanches\u003c/a> that come with different kinds of warning signs and frequency. The two main kinds are dry-loose or sluff avalanches — which are made up of soft snow that collects as it moves — and slab avalanches, which occur when a cohesive layer of snow breaks and moves as a slab downhill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/19193/the-science-of-snow\">The science of how snow layers form and break\u003c/a> is complicated, but in essence, avalanches occur when there’s a surface bed of snow at the bottom, with a weaker layer of snow on top — and then new snow on top of that weaker layer.[aside postID=news_12073593 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DonnerPassGetty.jpg']This creates \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/anticipate-conditions\">conditions\u003c/a> where the weaker layer can collapse, and the mass of snow on top can fracture and slide. While this can happen naturally, human activity almost always triggers avalanches, causing the weaker layer to collapse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Things that can affect the likelihood of an avalanche occurring are, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5444915.pdf\">according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (PDF):\u003c/a> The instability of the snowpack, the recent weather and snowfall, and the terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avalanches are most likely to occur immediately after a large storm when there has been significant snowfall. Heavy wind that quickly blows in large amounts of snow on top of an existing layer can also cause dangerous conditions. Slight melting and refreezing each night can stabilize the snowpack — but extended periods of out-of-the-ordinary weather changes can cause instability. Whether or not a slope faces the sun, and the steepness of that slope, can affect the probability of an avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within resorts, ski patrols monitor these conditions and conduct avalanche controls — deliberately setting off small avalanches to keep the potential for larger ones from building up. In the backcountry, it’s important to be aware of all these changing variables since you won’t have ski patrols around to do it for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is avalanche equipment?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the backcountry, avalanche equipment includes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>An avalanche beacon and receiver\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A probe to stick in the ground to locate someone trapped\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A shovel to dig someone out\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Many jackets and ski pants also now come with \u003ca href=\"https://recco.com/technology/\">a RECCO reflector\u003c/a> built in. This small transmitter looks like a label or tag on your coat, pants, helmet or backpack, which transmits to receivers operated by patrols or rescue crews. This is not considered a replacement for an avalanche beacon, but it can augment rescue efforts and is an easy add-on to have inbounds at a resort.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if I get caught in an avalanche?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, try to get off the slab or out of the oncoming avalanche track. This is, of course, not always easy to accomplish since avalanches can travel between 60 mph and 80 mph.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/FAQ\">recommends two techniques for escaping the path of an avalanche\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re skiing or snowboarding, try to head straight downhill to build up some speed, and then angle off to the side to get off the slab.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>If you’re snowmobiling, use the momentum and power to your advantage and continue in the direction you’re going to try to get out of dangerous snow.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073709\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks are lined up along Interstate 80 during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The reason people die in avalanches is that carbon dioxide in the area around their mouth, where they are buried, builds up. If they’re rescued within the first 15 minutes, there is a nearly 93% survival rate, according to stats published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/avalanche-victim-resuscitation\">the American Avalanche Association\u003c/a> — but it drops drastically with every additional minute. This is why it’s crucial to take steps to increase the likelihood that you can be found and rescued quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you get caught in an avalanche and can’t escape, you can try to grab onto a tree. But you’ll have to do this very quickly because avalanches pick up speed within seconds — and getting carried at speed into a tree or boulder is a common source of fatal trauma in an avalanche.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>If you can’t escape or grab onto a tree, then you need to “swim.” Because people are likely to sink in the avalanche debris, it’s important to swim hard to try and keep yourself near the surface.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Clear a space for air in front of your mouth as the avalanche slows down just before it comes to rest. This will give you slightly longer before the carbon dioxide builds up.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Push a hand up (or your best guess of what “up” is) because any clues will help people find you faster.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Remember: All of these things must be done while the debris and snow are still moving — because once the snow stops, it will instantly be too thick and heavy for you to move.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you see someone caught in an avalanche, do not try to ski or snowmobile over to them while it is occurring — no matter how strong your instinct is to reach them to help out. Instead, you are likely to get caught in the avalanche yourself. You should try to note their starting position and where they end up, and then immediately start searching for them after the avalanche stops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/mbolanos\">\u003cem>Madi Bolaños\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Six survivors have been rescued after an avalanche in the backcountry near Donner Summit, while search and recovery operations continue amid dangerous conditions.",
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"title": "8 Skiers Confirmed Dead, 1 Still Missing After Tahoe Avalanche. Here’s What We Know | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Eight people were killed, and one is still missing, after an avalanche buried a group of 15 backcountry skiers in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tahoe\">Tahoe\u003c/a>’s Donner Summit region on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is now the deadliest avalanche in California’s modern history, surpassing the 1982 avalanche in Alpine Meadows that killed seven people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a 911 call from the survivors around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, about 50 people from surrounding search-and-rescue teams responded, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a press conference Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six of the skiers, who were part of a three-day backcountry skiing group staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak, were rescued amid extreme weather conditions Tuesday night, Moon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First responders used snowcats to get 2 miles from the site of the avalanche before skiing in to rescue survivors, who were trying to shelter amid the storm with the equipment they had on hand. Two were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and one has been released.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Whattodoifyourecaughtinanavalanche\">What to do if you’re caught in an avalanche\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety, where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire,” a sheriff’s spokesperson wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three people were immediately identified as dead on the scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The search for the remaining missing person and recovery for the eight deceased are ongoing Wednesday, pending weather conditions, Moon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073788 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1485\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/AP26049704726526-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updates media on rescue efforts following an avalanche at a news conference in Nevada City, California, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tran Nguyen via AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a resource issue as we speak,” Moon said. “It is a weather condition and safety condition for our response teams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initial reports said 16 people went on the trip, but a statement from \u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdguides.com/pages/live-incident-updates\">Blackbird Mountain Guides\u003c/a>, the guiding company involved in the incident, confirmed the group was actually 15 — comprising 11 clients and four guides. Among the survivors, one is a guide and five are clients. All had emergency beacons, and rescuers were communicating with some survivors via text message, according to first responders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nine women and six men were on the trip, with five women and one man among the survivors. Their identities have not been released, but Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said one of those who died is the spouse of a member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a volunteer team that responded to the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has not only been challenging for our community, it’s been a challenging rescue,” Woo said. “It’s also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940130\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11940130\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589.jpg\" alt=\"A creek running through a forest where trees are covered in snow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1388\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-800x578.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-1020x737.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/GettyImages-157677589-1536x1110.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh Winter Snow near where the Donner Party saga unfolded. \u003ccite>(Ron and Patty Thomas/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073593/heavy-rain-and-snow-shut-down-roads-across-bay-area-and-sierra-nevada\">A major storm hit the Lake Tahoe region this week\u003c/a>, producing high avalanche danger. While crews continue their search, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/avalanche#/all\">Sierra Avalanche Center\u003c/a> issued an avalanche warning starting Tuesday morning that expires on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning notes high avalanche danger — the fourth level on a five-point scale — and says travel in or around backcountry avalanche terrain is not recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rapidly accumulating snowfall, weak layers in the existing snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains,” the warning reads. “Natural avalanches are likely, and human-triggered avalanches large enough to bury or injure people are very likely.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendy Antibus, education manager at the Sierra Avalanche Center, said the dry conditions all January allowed weak layers to form at the surface of existing snow, creating a slippery surface that’s prime for avalanches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then this week’s sheer volume of snowfall, with more than an inch falling per hour for the past two days, piled on top, said Brian Brong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Reno office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the slope gets steeper and steeper, that snow doesn’t tend to want to stick — it wants to kind of slide down the hill, so that’s where we get the avalanche threat,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with temperatures in the single digits on the mountaintops, that produces light, fluffy snow that can get blown around easily — even a 30 mph wind can create whiteout conditions, he said. The lighter snow leads to more snow drifts, piling up on one side of a mountain and creating a steeper-than-normal slope, prime for avalanche risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073703 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This slide was around a football field in length, said Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It resulted when a persistent weak layer had a large load of snow over the top of it,” he said at the press conference. “That persistent weak layer is still there and has reloaded with another three feet of snow. So the hazard remains high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The slide occurred just one mile away from \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/article/avalanche-kills-snowmobiler-near-lake-tahoe-21279131.php\">another in January\u003c/a>, which killed a person snowmobiling in the backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Bothwell, chief avalanche educator for the Bay Area-based Outdoor Adventure Club, warned that people often have trouble assessing risk in the backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just have to be really, really meticulous about the terrain that we choose to travel on,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s press conference, Woo warned that travel in the Sierra Nevada is not safe right now. “Please avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days,” he said. “Avoid mountain travel — it’s treacherous. Avoid the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whattodoifyourecaughtinanavalanche\">\u003c/a>What to do if you’re caught in an avalanche\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning on heading up to the mountains this winter, keep reading for what to know about avalanches — why they happen, how to prepare for the worst, and what to do if you’re caught in an avalanche yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to be prepared for avalanches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re venturing into the backcountry — which means beyond the boundaries of a ski resort — then you need to take \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-courses/\">an avalanche safety course\u003c/a>. This will give you far more detail in understanding avalanche conditions and rescue protocols.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning to stay primarily in a resort or mountain park, then you should still know the basics — many of which you can learn through the National Avalanche Center’s \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-education/\">free course videos and educational materials on avalanches\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073713 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most important rule is not to venture into closed areas of the resort and not to “duck” under out-of-bounds ropes. Pay attention to any alerts or warnings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/sac-daily-flow-user-guide\">The Sierra Avalanche Center has also created a daily flow guide\u003c/a> for a simple way to understand the best practices when skiing and snowboarding in the Sierra. This includes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Skiing with other people and knowing their abilities in advance\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Knowing the conditions and avalanche risk before you go\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Having a safety and rescue plan and bringing avalanche equipment\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How do I know what the avalanche conditions are?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Check, check, check the forecasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center, along with a number of avalanche experts and offices around the West, puts out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada\">daily forecasts with predicted avalanche dangers\u003c/a> and conditions to watch out for. They also put out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/state-of-the-snowpack/current\">weekly overall updates on the state of the snowpack\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/how-to-read-avalanche-advisory\">reading an avalanche advisory\u003c/a> in detail does require some background knowledge. If you plan to stay within the resorts, then the “bottom line” information (which is listed at the top) supplied in the advisory forecasts should give you the main takeaways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good rule is to pay attention to the warning signs that an avalanche could happen when you’re out in the snow. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/sac-daily-flow-user-guide\">the Sierra Avalanche Center’s daily flow guide\u003c/a>, these include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Recent avalanche activity in the area\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Signs of instability in the snowpack\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Recent “loading” (i.e., storms)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Rapid warming or weather changes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Terrain with a slope greater than 30 degrees\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Terrain or hillsides that match the advisory warnings\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How do avalanches happen?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/avalanche-problems\">different kinds of avalanches\u003c/a> that come with different kinds of warning signs and frequency. The two main kinds are dry-loose or sluff avalanches — which are made up of soft snow that collects as it moves — and slab avalanches, which occur when a cohesive layer of snow breaks and moves as a slab downhill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/19193/the-science-of-snow\">The science of how snow layers form and break\u003c/a> is complicated, but in essence, avalanches occur when there’s a surface bed of snow at the bottom, with a weaker layer of snow on top — and then new snow on top of that weaker layer.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This creates \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/anticipate-conditions\">conditions\u003c/a> where the weaker layer can collapse, and the mass of snow on top can fracture and slide. While this can happen naturally, human activity almost always triggers avalanches, causing the weaker layer to collapse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Things that can affect the likelihood of an avalanche occurring are, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5444915.pdf\">according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (PDF):\u003c/a> The instability of the snowpack, the recent weather and snowfall, and the terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avalanches are most likely to occur immediately after a large storm when there has been significant snowfall. Heavy wind that quickly blows in large amounts of snow on top of an existing layer can also cause dangerous conditions. Slight melting and refreezing each night can stabilize the snowpack — but extended periods of out-of-the-ordinary weather changes can cause instability. Whether or not a slope faces the sun, and the steepness of that slope, can affect the probability of an avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within resorts, ski patrols monitor these conditions and conduct avalanche controls — deliberately setting off small avalanches to keep the potential for larger ones from building up. In the backcountry, it’s important to be aware of all these changing variables since you won’t have ski patrols around to do it for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is avalanche equipment?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the backcountry, avalanche equipment includes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>An avalanche beacon and receiver\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A probe to stick in the ground to locate someone trapped\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A shovel to dig someone out\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Many jackets and ski pants also now come with \u003ca href=\"https://recco.com/technology/\">a RECCO reflector\u003c/a> built in. This small transmitter looks like a label or tag on your coat, pants, helmet or backpack, which transmits to receivers operated by patrols or rescue crews. This is not considered a replacement for an avalanche beacon, but it can augment rescue efforts and is an easy add-on to have inbounds at a resort.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if I get caught in an avalanche?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, try to get off the slab or out of the oncoming avalanche track. This is, of course, not always easy to accomplish since avalanches can travel between 60 mph and 80 mph.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/FAQ\">recommends two techniques for escaping the path of an avalanche\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re skiing or snowboarding, try to head straight downhill to build up some speed, and then angle off to the side to get off the slab.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>If you’re snowmobiling, use the momentum and power to your advantage and continue in the direction you’re going to try to get out of dangerous snow.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073709\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks are lined up along Interstate 80 during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The reason people die in avalanches is that carbon dioxide in the area around their mouth, where they are buried, builds up. If they’re rescued within the first 15 minutes, there is a nearly 93% survival rate, according to stats published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/avalanche-victim-resuscitation\">the American Avalanche Association\u003c/a> — but it drops drastically with every additional minute. This is why it’s crucial to take steps to increase the likelihood that you can be found and rescued quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you get caught in an avalanche and can’t escape, you can try to grab onto a tree. But you’ll have to do this very quickly because avalanches pick up speed within seconds — and getting carried at speed into a tree or boulder is a common source of fatal trauma in an avalanche.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>If you can’t escape or grab onto a tree, then you need to “swim.” Because people are likely to sink in the avalanche debris, it’s important to swim hard to try and keep yourself near the surface.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Clear a space for air in front of your mouth as the avalanche slows down just before it comes to rest. This will give you slightly longer before the carbon dioxide builds up.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Push a hand up (or your best guess of what “up” is) because any clues will help people find you faster.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Remember: All of these things must be done while the debris and snow are still moving — because once the snow stops, it will instantly be too thick and heavy for you to move.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you see someone caught in an avalanche, do not try to ski or snowmobile over to them while it is occurring — no matter how strong your instinct is to reach them to help out. Instead, you are likely to get caught in the avalanche yourself. You should try to note their starting position and where they end up, and then immediately start searching for them after the avalanche stops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/mbolanos\">\u003cem>Madi Bolaños\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "heavy-rain-and-snow-shut-down-roads-across-bay-area-and-sierra-nevada",
"title": "Heavy Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads Across Bay Area and Sierra Nevada",
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"headTitle": "Heavy Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads Across Bay Area and Sierra Nevada | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000043/winter-is-coming-storms-soak-bay-area-next-week-drop-2-feet-of-fresh-snow-on-tahoe\">major storm system\u003c/a> passing through Northern California after weeks of dry weather shut down roads across the Bay Area and in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the area braces for more steady rainfall throughout the day, highways in the East Bay and North Bay were flooded in parts, and access to Lake Tahoe was cut off due to inches of rain and snow collected since Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The weather \u003ca href=\"https://511.org/alerts/critical\">suspended Golden Gate Ferry\u003c/a> operations to Angel Island, and travel to Tiburon has been rerouted via bus. Trips from San Francisco to Sausalito were suspended until 12:10 p.m. After that, early afternoon travel will be via bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Oakland, Interstate 880 northbound was backed up as the offramp on Broadway flooded, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s \u003ca href=\"https://511.org/\">511 website\u003c/a>. Interstate 580 was also affected by flooding: in the eastbound direction, the right lane and shoulder were closed due to flooding near Grand Avenue, and westbound, the right lane was closed east of 35th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Tips\">Jump straight to: Tips for safe driving in the rain and snow\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The city has gotten more than an inch and a half of rain in the last 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farther northeast in Solano County, where there’s also been more than an inch of rainfall since midday Sunday, flooding affected lanes of Highway 38 headed east in Vallejo and Interstate 80 westbound in Fairfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10366486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10366486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889850-e1771364269475.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A motorist drives through a flooded intersection on Dec. 3, 2014, in Mill Valley, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, where back-to-back storms in December and early January brought \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068281/bay-area-braces-for-storm-that-could-become-a-rare-bomb-cyclone-ahead-of-holiday-travel\">significant flooding\u003c/a>, Green Valley Road in Sebastopol was shut down on Tuesday due to flood conditions. In a livestream operated by the county to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcQJUHnWAVA\">show flooding conditions\u003c/a>, water was streaming over the roadway near Sullivan Road and pooling heavily on Tuesday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The section between Thomas Road and Sullivan Road is currently closed due to flooding from the recent storm,” county spokesperson Diana Callaway said via email. She said the roadway would reopen when water levels receded, but did not give a time estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Motorists are advised to use alternate routes and avoid driving through flooded areas due to potential debris and water-related hazards,” she said.[aside postID=news_12068981 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Hwy116Getty.jpg']Parts of the county have collected more than 2 inches of rain since Sunday, the NWS reported, and county officials urged residents to limit unnecessary travel and turn around if they come across flooded roadways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Monterey County, a nearly 7-mile stretch of Highway 1 was closed as crews cleared mud and debris from the roadway after a slide late Monday evening. The Regent’s Slide area in Big Sur — where there were major mudslides in 2023 and 2024 — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069761/californias-highway-1-fully-opens-through-big-sur-years-after-major-landslides\">just reopened in January\u003c/a> after three years of damage repairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Crews continue to clear mud from the roadway at Regent’s Slide,” Caltrans said in a post on the social media platform X.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the mountains, UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab said it best: “It. Is. Dumping,” the lab \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/UCB_CSSL\">posted on X on Tuesday\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reaching the Sierra won’t be easy — or advised — after Interstate 80 shut down from Colfax in Placer County to the Nevada state line due to snowfall. The Sierra Snow Lab, which is located near Donner Summit, about 50 miles east of Colfax along I-80, reported 28 inches of snow overnight Monday, and predicted another 2-3 feet by Wednesday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anecdotally, the combination of low visibility, intense snowfall, and high winds have created the worst conditions since Feb 2023,” the Berkeley lab said via social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11980519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11980519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow blanketed South Lake Tahoe in California on Nov. 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe was also closed in El Dorado County, from Pointview Drive in Placerville to Meyers, due to multiple spinouts, and Highway 89 in El Dorado County was closed at Emerald Bay State Park in South Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service said that travel throughout the Sierra is “highly discouraged” throughout the day and into the night, as periods of whiteout conditions are likely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across Northern California, more rain and snow are expected throughout the day, and scattered showers could continue into the rest of the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Sierra, the National Weather Service is forecasting up to 8 feet of snow on peaks above 3,500 feet, while 1-2 feet could accumulate at lower elevations. Some snowfall is predicted at elevations as low as 1,000 feet in the Sierra and Shasta County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"Tips\">\u003c/a>Driving safely in rain and strong winds\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During storms like this, officials typically urge residents to limit unnecessary travel and stay home if at all possible during weather events like these, citing the potential dangers presented by downed trees and power lines in addition to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How should I change my driving style during rain and winds?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you must drive, do it much more slowly and cautiously than usual, while:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Using your headlights\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Turning off cruise control\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Leaving twice as much space between your vehicle and the one in front of it (wet roads might mean it takes longer to stop)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Staying alert for debris on the road.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do I do if my car begins to hydroplane on a wet road?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>First off, remain calm — and don’t slam on the brakes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ease off the gas\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Steer in the direction you want to go …\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>… and very lightly pump the brakes until you regain traction.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What if I approach a flooded road?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Always turn around rather than driving through a flooded area — as little as 6 inches of water is enough to disable or stall a small car, while 12 inches can sweep away a vehicle. Don’t assume you know the depth of a pool of water or the conditions of the road underneath it, especially at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If floodwaters begin to rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground on foot. According to the California Department of Water Resources, more people become trapped and die in their vehicles than anywhere else during a flood.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Driving safely in snowy conditions\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Be sure to take weather warnings for the Sierra Nevada seriously, as winter storms can sometimes make travel virtually impossible — and genuinely dangerous. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains#snowroadclosures\">Read more on how to check the weather forecast and travel warnings.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11937339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11937339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A snowplow clears debris from the road to Stateline, Nevada on Nov. 8, 2022. A winter Storm warning in is effect for Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you must drive in these conditions:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carry chains\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to making sure your vehicle’s in good working order (including brakes, wipers and heater), you’ll need to carry chains, which are fitted onto the tires of a vehicle’s drive wheels to offer more traction on snowy and icy roads. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains#chaincontroltahoe\">Read more about when chain control is declared in the Tahoe region and how to fit chains onto your car.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fuel up\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure you also have as much fuel as possible at all times, as you could be delayed or even held on the road, which will burn up the fuel in your tank. Gaining elevation as you ascend into the mountains will also use more gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Use Caltrans’ QuickMap \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ \u003ca href=\"https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/QM/app.htm\">QuickMap app (available on the App Store and Google Play)\u003c/a>, and also in \u003ca href=\"https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/\">web form,\u003c/a> will show you the latest road conditions and travel information, including chain controls, snowplows on the roads and closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pack for getting stuck\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure your vehicles contains emergency items including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Food and water\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Warm blankets\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Extra clothing\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A shovel, in case you need to dig your vehicle out of snow\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An ice scraper.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Take it slow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll see the words “Ice and snow, take it slow” on road signs in Tahoe, and you should heed the advice — especially in areas with chain control, which is in effect for a reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leave far more braking distance between you and the car ahead than you normally would. If cars behind you are clearly trying to go much faster than you, pull over when it’s safe to do so, and let them pass. Read \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips\">Caltrans’ list of winter driving tips\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know how to correct a skid\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+get+out+of+skid\">many video tutorials online demonstrating how to control and correct a skid\u003c/a>. It’s a good idea to watch a few of them so you can see what the advice for correcting a skid — \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/the-car-skids-what-you-should-do/\">take your feet off the pedals and turn into the direction you want to go\u003c/a> — looks like in action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be aware of the ice risk especially posed by roads that are shaded by the sun — and also on \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2017/12/19/the-science-of-why-bridges-ice-before-roads/?sh=194a49857cd0\">bridges, which freeze faster than the road before and after them\u003c/a> owing to the air underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ccabreralomeli\">\u003cem>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/esilvers\">\u003cem>Emma Silvers\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A major storm system passing through Northern California is bringing significant disruptions to travel, including what officials called the worst conditions over Donner Pass in years.",
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"title": "Heavy Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads Across Bay Area and Sierra Nevada | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000043/winter-is-coming-storms-soak-bay-area-next-week-drop-2-feet-of-fresh-snow-on-tahoe\">major storm system\u003c/a> passing through Northern California after weeks of dry weather shut down roads across the Bay Area and in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the area braces for more steady rainfall throughout the day, highways in the East Bay and North Bay were flooded in parts, and access to Lake Tahoe was cut off due to inches of rain and snow collected since Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The weather \u003ca href=\"https://511.org/alerts/critical\">suspended Golden Gate Ferry\u003c/a> operations to Angel Island, and travel to Tiburon has been rerouted via bus. Trips from San Francisco to Sausalito were suspended until 12:10 p.m. After that, early afternoon travel will be via bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Oakland, Interstate 880 northbound was backed up as the offramp on Broadway flooded, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s \u003ca href=\"https://511.org/\">511 website\u003c/a>. Interstate 580 was also affected by flooding: in the eastbound direction, the right lane and shoulder were closed due to flooding near Grand Avenue, and westbound, the right lane was closed east of 35th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Tips\">Jump straight to: Tips for safe driving in the rain and snow\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The city has gotten more than an inch and a half of rain in the last 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farther northeast in Solano County, where there’s also been more than an inch of rainfall since midday Sunday, flooding affected lanes of Highway 38 headed east in Vallejo and Interstate 80 westbound in Fairfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10366486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10366486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889850-e1771364269475.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A motorist drives through a flooded intersection on Dec. 3, 2014, in Mill Valley, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, where back-to-back storms in December and early January brought \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068281/bay-area-braces-for-storm-that-could-become-a-rare-bomb-cyclone-ahead-of-holiday-travel\">significant flooding\u003c/a>, Green Valley Road in Sebastopol was shut down on Tuesday due to flood conditions. In a livestream operated by the county to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcQJUHnWAVA\">show flooding conditions\u003c/a>, water was streaming over the roadway near Sullivan Road and pooling heavily on Tuesday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The section between Thomas Road and Sullivan Road is currently closed due to flooding from the recent storm,” county spokesperson Diana Callaway said via email. She said the roadway would reopen when water levels receded, but did not give a time estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Motorists are advised to use alternate routes and avoid driving through flooded areas due to potential debris and water-related hazards,” she said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Parts of the county have collected more than 2 inches of rain since Sunday, the NWS reported, and county officials urged residents to limit unnecessary travel and turn around if they come across flooded roadways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Monterey County, a nearly 7-mile stretch of Highway 1 was closed as crews cleared mud and debris from the roadway after a slide late Monday evening. The Regent’s Slide area in Big Sur — where there were major mudslides in 2023 and 2024 — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069761/californias-highway-1-fully-opens-through-big-sur-years-after-major-landslides\">just reopened in January\u003c/a> after three years of damage repairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Crews continue to clear mud from the roadway at Regent’s Slide,” Caltrans said in a post on the social media platform X.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the mountains, UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab said it best: “It. Is. Dumping,” the lab \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/UCB_CSSL\">posted on X on Tuesday\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reaching the Sierra won’t be easy — or advised — after Interstate 80 shut down from Colfax in Placer County to the Nevada state line due to snowfall. The Sierra Snow Lab, which is located near Donner Summit, about 50 miles east of Colfax along I-80, reported 28 inches of snow overnight Monday, and predicted another 2-3 feet by Wednesday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anecdotally, the combination of low visibility, intense snowfall, and high winds have created the worst conditions since Feb 2023,” the Berkeley lab said via social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11980519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11980519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1244621245_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow blanketed South Lake Tahoe in California on Nov. 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe was also closed in El Dorado County, from Pointview Drive in Placerville to Meyers, due to multiple spinouts, and Highway 89 in El Dorado County was closed at Emerald Bay State Park in South Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service said that travel throughout the Sierra is “highly discouraged” throughout the day and into the night, as periods of whiteout conditions are likely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across Northern California, more rain and snow are expected throughout the day, and scattered showers could continue into the rest of the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Sierra, the National Weather Service is forecasting up to 8 feet of snow on peaks above 3,500 feet, while 1-2 feet could accumulate at lower elevations. Some snowfall is predicted at elevations as low as 1,000 feet in the Sierra and Shasta County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"Tips\">\u003c/a>Driving safely in rain and strong winds\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During storms like this, officials typically urge residents to limit unnecessary travel and stay home if at all possible during weather events like these, citing the potential dangers presented by downed trees and power lines in addition to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How should I change my driving style during rain and winds?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you must drive, do it much more slowly and cautiously than usual, while:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Using your headlights\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Turning off cruise control\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Leaving twice as much space between your vehicle and the one in front of it (wet roads might mean it takes longer to stop)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Staying alert for debris on the road.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do I do if my car begins to hydroplane on a wet road?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>First off, remain calm — and don’t slam on the brakes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ease off the gas\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Steer in the direction you want to go …\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>… and very lightly pump the brakes until you regain traction.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What if I approach a flooded road?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Always turn around rather than driving through a flooded area — as little as 6 inches of water is enough to disable or stall a small car, while 12 inches can sweep away a vehicle. Don’t assume you know the depth of a pool of water or the conditions of the road underneath it, especially at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If floodwaters begin to rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground on foot. According to the California Department of Water Resources, more people become trapped and die in their vehicles than anywhere else during a flood.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Driving safely in snowy conditions\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Be sure to take weather warnings for the Sierra Nevada seriously, as winter storms can sometimes make travel virtually impossible — and genuinely dangerous. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains#snowroadclosures\">Read more on how to check the weather forecast and travel warnings.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11937339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11937339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/RS61930_GettyImages-1244621487-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A snowplow clears debris from the road to Stateline, Nevada on Nov. 8, 2022. A winter Storm warning in is effect for Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you must drive in these conditions:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carry chains\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to making sure your vehicle’s in good working order (including brakes, wipers and heater), you’ll need to carry chains, which are fitted onto the tires of a vehicle’s drive wheels to offer more traction on snowy and icy roads. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains#chaincontroltahoe\">Read more about when chain control is declared in the Tahoe region and how to fit chains onto your car.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fuel up\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure you also have as much fuel as possible at all times, as you could be delayed or even held on the road, which will burn up the fuel in your tank. Gaining elevation as you ascend into the mountains will also use more gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Use Caltrans’ QuickMap \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ \u003ca href=\"https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/QM/app.htm\">QuickMap app (available on the App Store and Google Play)\u003c/a>, and also in \u003ca href=\"https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/\">web form,\u003c/a> will show you the latest road conditions and travel information, including chain controls, snowplows on the roads and closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pack for getting stuck\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure your vehicles contains emergency items including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Food and water\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Warm blankets\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Extra clothing\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A shovel, in case you need to dig your vehicle out of snow\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An ice scraper.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Take it slow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll see the words “Ice and snow, take it slow” on road signs in Tahoe, and you should heed the advice — especially in areas with chain control, which is in effect for a reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leave far more braking distance between you and the car ahead than you normally would. If cars behind you are clearly trying to go much faster than you, pull over when it’s safe to do so, and let them pass. Read \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips\">Caltrans’ list of winter driving tips\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know how to correct a skid\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+get+out+of+skid\">many video tutorials online demonstrating how to control and correct a skid\u003c/a>. It’s a good idea to watch a few of them so you can see what the advice for correcting a skid — \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/the-car-skids-what-you-should-do/\">take your feet off the pedals and turn into the direction you want to go\u003c/a> — looks like in action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be aware of the ice risk especially posed by roads that are shaded by the sun — and also on \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2017/12/19/the-science-of-why-bridges-ice-before-roads/?sh=194a49857cd0\">bridges, which freeze faster than the road before and after them\u003c/a> owing to the air underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ccabreralomeli\">\u003cem>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/esilvers\">\u003cem>Emma Silvers\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "winter-cabins-to-rent-near-san-francisco-bay-area-tahoe-mendocino-sonoma",
"title": "How to Do a Cozy Winter Cabin Getaway Near the Bay Area — on a Budget",
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"headTitle": "How to Do a Cozy Winter Cabin Getaway Near the Bay Area — on a Budget | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>At this time of year, when the holidays have passed, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069084/bay-area-faces-first-ever-extreme-cold-warning-as-temperatures-plunge-overnight\">cold weather still endures\u003c/a>, you may be craving a cozy cabin getaway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, one look at Airbnb and VRBO prices often reveals that your average “winter wonderland cabin” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064955/is-it-possible-to-ski-tahoe-without-spending-a-fortune\">might not be in your budget\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here’s the deal: If you’re willing to embrace adventure and rough it in a more primitive-style lodging, you’ll find some pretty unique, scenic \u003cem>and \u003c/em>affordable options when it comes to winter cabins. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and willingness to go off the beaten path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you’re seeking an adventurous outing to the Sierra Nevada backcountry or an unplugged retreat in Wine Country, we did the research on lower-cost winter cabins so you don’t have to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just be aware: Most of these cabins have no electricity and few amenities — including cell service — which is, of course, part of the point. So roll up with your most intrepid friends and any luxuries you might want with you, and embrace the quiet of a cozy weekend away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Agetawayintheredwoods\">A getaway in the redwoods\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#AsummitstayinTahoe\">A summit stay in Tahoe\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Anoceansidehostel\">An oceanside hostel\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Soak in Sonoma County with a lakeside retreat\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for a still-accessible, slightly off-the-grid experience, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/spring-lake-regional-park\">Spring Lake Regional Park\u003c/a> in Sonoma County might be the spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located along Spring Lake in Santa Rosa, the park has \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/play/camping/cabins\">three cabins\u003c/a> — one of which is fully wheelchair accessible — for a winter escape that’ll get you out of your house and in nature without \u003cem>too \u003c/em>much adventure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Campbell, spokesperson for Sonoma County Regional Parks, said its proximity to the city of Santa Rosa makes it easy to visit without much advanced planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A cabin for rent at Sonoma’s Spring Lake. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Sonoma County Regional Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great overnight because you get your groceries on the way, it doesn’t take long to get there, and you’ve got all that time to spend in the park enjoying, relaxing, or doing whatever activity that you’re choosing to do,” she said. “Just because it is so centrally located.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cabins are “minimal” on the inside, Campbell said, with bunk beds and basic mattresses, a porch, barbecue, fire pit and picnic table so you can feel like you’re camping — don’t forget a sleeping bag and pillow — but still have a roof over your head. Plus, campground showers and potable water are accessible nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it can rain quite a bit in the winter here, temperatures are mild – helpful in these unheated cabins. Plus, there’s plenty to keep you occupied nearby, from the \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/environmental-discovery-center\">Environmental Discovery Center\u003c/a> open on weekends to ample fishing and birdwatching along the lake, lagoon and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/spring-lake-regional-park\">Spring Creek Trail\u003c/a>, which is paved and circumnavigates the lake for a mostly flat 2.3 miles. For kids, the Howard Park playground is a short walk away from the cabins, Campbell noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for even more adventure, the park also abuts \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=480\">Trione-Annadel State Park\u003c/a>, where you can get lost in 45 miles of trails — but be aware, it can get muddy in the winter and spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Cabin rentals are typically $82 per night in the winter, accommodating up to 8 people and two vehicles per site. \u003ca href=\"https://secure.sonomacountyparks.org/spring-lake/cabins/\">Reservations can be made here\u003c/a>. Discounts are available for Sonoma County residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Agetawayintheredwoods\">\u003c/a>Relax in the redwoods — inside a state park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several nearby state parks, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=438\">Hendy Woods\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469\">Samuel P. Taylor\u003c/a>, have idyllic cabins nestled in the redwoods. The catch? They get booked up quickly, so it may be hard to snag a weekend reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you can take a day off during the week itself — or even just go out for a quick overnight stay — these spots are worth it for the cozy atmosphere alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Mendocino County’s Hendy Woods State Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044161/bay-area-camping-alternatives-glamping-yurts-cabins-big-sur#B\">the four cabins \u003c/a>are located inside the two main campgrounds between the two groves of old-growth redwood trees, where you can meander among ancient giants, some as big as 300 feet tall. [aside postID=news_12044161 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/inntown-3-2000x1333.jpg']There are five miles of trails throughout the park, including the accessible \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/hendy-woods-discovery-trail\">1.4-mile Discovery Trail\u003c/a>, which is an easy stroll that tours you through the main grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to San Francisco, Marin County’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28538\">Samuel P. Taylor\u003c/a> State Park boasts four cabins, each accommodating five people. This park’s location makes it the perfect quick overnight to get away from the city, especially if you’re planning to explore nearby \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a> for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the cabins at both state parks have electricity, covered porches and even small heaters – but every spot is different, so be sure to check your reservation ahead of time. At both state parks, potable water, showers and bathrooms are available in the campgrounds. Bring sleeping bags \u003cem>and \u003c/em>sleeping pads (as no mattresses are provided), and any kitchen supplies you might want for cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Cabin rentals at Hendy Woods and Samuel P. Taylor range from $35 to $100 per night and can be made at \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a>. Be aware that most cabin sites are booked up on weekends, so consider a midweek reservation if you can swing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"AsummitstayinTahoe\">\u003c/a>Explore the snow at Tahoe’s front and backcountry cabins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If your cabin adventure is incomplete without the lure of snow, look no further than the Sierra Club lodges around Tahoe’s Donner Summit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most accessible option here is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/rustic-accommodations/\">Clair Tappaan Lodge\u003c/a>, located in Norden just off Highway 80 near Boreal Resort, Donner Ski Ranch and Sugar Bowl Resorts. This bunk-style lodge, which dates from the 1930s, offers communal dining and a rustic feel, plus options for bagged lunches if you’re heading to the slopes for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But you don’t have to be a resort skier to get the most out of the stay — the lodge rents snowshoes, cross-country skis and sleds for any snowy outing. What’s more, there’s a quiet library to unwind after a long day in the cold, said Andrew Parkhill, the lodge’s general manager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073403\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Peter Grubb hut, one of the Sierra Club’s primitive huts in Tahoe’s backcountry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Hipcamp/Sierra Club)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a great option for people that are looking to do something different and be in the mountains, sharing the camaraderie of what the mountains bring,” Parkhill said. “Whether that’s a beautiful view, or watching the snow fall or having a great day on the hill — be it snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or downhill skiing — and just coming back and talking about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeking even more adventure? The Sierra Club also has primitive huts in Tahoe’s backcountry that are accessible only by snowshoe or cross-country ski. Perhaps the easiest to get to is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/peter-grubb-hut/\">Peter Grubb Hut\u003c/a>, which is around a 3-mile hike from I-80. But before you book, make sure you’re seriously prepared: not only are these huts unstaffed, with not much in the way of amenities, but they also require expertise in traveling on snow to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re ready for the challenge, the juice may be worth the squeeze. Akin to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064291/winter-camping-reservations-where-to-go-campsites-near-san-francisco-bay-area\">winter backpacking\u003c/a> — just with an added roof over your head — the reward for your trek is a remote ski lodge with a wood-burning stove, an outhouse and all the new adventure friends you’ll meet once you get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>The huts and lodge can be booked on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/\">Clair Tappaan Lodge website\u003c/a> or, starting this week, on \u003ca href=\"https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/collections/camping/sierra-club\">Hipcamp.com\u003c/a>. Spots are $82 per person per night in the lodge and $55 in the Peter Grubb or any other backcountry hut.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Anoceansidehostel\">\u003c/a>Overlook the ocean from a unique hostel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Looking for a getaway with ocean vibes and views? While the Bay Area’s two lighthouse hostels aren’t your \u003cem>typical \u003c/em>cabin experiences, they’re utterly unique and charming in their own way — and will surely get you out of your midwinter funk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Run by the same hostel company, \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/montara-8800-cabrillo-highway?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7gIEvHEEAjVxrZR7Sbp-aWB2A2dZhh1SHje2b8sZP7tzsO1WXe_m7QaAm2BEALw_wcB\">HI Point Montara Lighthouse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/pescadero-210-pigeonpoint-road?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7iRwKyt79cmrwHQm_0935emLrvvb7eO3_NzoGkEvl9tAbOzHFZrCrUaAgSfEALw_wcB\">HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse\u003c/a> not only have their own grounds to explore, but are close to some of the Bay Area’s wildest stretches of coastline.[aside postID=news_12066608 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SNOWY-TAHOE-CS-KQED.jpg']The \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/montara-8800-cabrillo-highway?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7gIEvHEEAjVxrZR7Sbp-aWB2A2dZhh1SHje2b8sZP7tzsO1WXe_m7QaAm2BEALw_wcB\">Montara location\u003c/a> is less than a half an hour south of the city, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Across Highway 1 is \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/montara-mountain-north-peak-loop-trail\">Montara Mountain\u003c/a>, a steep but superb local hike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beaches flank the entire area, and just to the south is \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/seal-cove-cypress-tree-tunnel-moss-beach\">the famed cypress tree tunnel\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/parks/fitzgerald-marine-reserve\">Fitzgerald Marine Reserve\u003c/a>, the ideal winter tidepooling spot. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/parks/news/be-know-you-go-tide-pooling\">Just be sure to read the rules before you go\u003c/a> to keep yourself — and all the local wildlife — safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farther south, near the rural coastal town of Pescadero, is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/pescadero-210-pigeonpoint-road?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7iRwKyt79cmrwHQm_0935emLrvvb7eO3_NzoGkEvl9tAbOzHFZrCrUaAgSfEALw_wcB\">Pigeon Point Lighthouse\u003c/a> location. Be aware: Construction at the lighthouse is currently underway, making this location a bit less serene at the moment during the daytime hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it has its own allure, the highlight of which is a cliffside hot tub and daily guided hikes of the state park. You’re also close by to the elephant seal overlook at \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523\">Año Nuevo State Park\u003c/a> and Pescadero’s quaint downtown, where a stop at \u003ca href=\"https://www.normsmarket.com/\">Arcangeli’s\u003c/a> for artichoke bread and \u003ca href=\"https://www.harleyfarms.com/\">Harley Farms\u003c/a> to see the dairy goats are must-dos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Book a private or shared room \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/\">online\u003c/a> for $50 per person in shared dorms. In general, private rooms do not include kitchen access. Shared rooms grant access to common kitchen and living areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If you’re down for adventure — and to bring your own bedding — these primitive cabins offer a wallet-friendly winter getaway.",
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"title": "How to Do a Cozy Winter Cabin Getaway Near the Bay Area — on a Budget | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At this time of year, when the holidays have passed, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069084/bay-area-faces-first-ever-extreme-cold-warning-as-temperatures-plunge-overnight\">cold weather still endures\u003c/a>, you may be craving a cozy cabin getaway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, one look at Airbnb and VRBO prices often reveals that your average “winter wonderland cabin” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064955/is-it-possible-to-ski-tahoe-without-spending-a-fortune\">might not be in your budget\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here’s the deal: If you’re willing to embrace adventure and rough it in a more primitive-style lodging, you’ll find some pretty unique, scenic \u003cem>and \u003c/em>affordable options when it comes to winter cabins. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and willingness to go off the beaten path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you’re seeking an adventurous outing to the Sierra Nevada backcountry or an unplugged retreat in Wine Country, we did the research on lower-cost winter cabins so you don’t have to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just be aware: Most of these cabins have no electricity and few amenities — including cell service — which is, of course, part of the point. So roll up with your most intrepid friends and any luxuries you might want with you, and embrace the quiet of a cozy weekend away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Agetawayintheredwoods\">A getaway in the redwoods\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#AsummitstayinTahoe\">A summit stay in Tahoe\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Anoceansidehostel\">An oceanside hostel\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Soak in Sonoma County with a lakeside retreat\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for a still-accessible, slightly off-the-grid experience, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/spring-lake-regional-park\">Spring Lake Regional Park\u003c/a> in Sonoma County might be the spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located along Spring Lake in Santa Rosa, the park has \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/play/camping/cabins\">three cabins\u003c/a> — one of which is fully wheelchair accessible — for a winter escape that’ll get you out of your house and in nature without \u003cem>too \u003c/em>much adventure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Campbell, spokesperson for Sonoma County Regional Parks, said its proximity to the city of Santa Rosa makes it easy to visit without much advanced planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/Spring-Lake-cabin-with-campfire_resized-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A cabin for rent at Sonoma’s Spring Lake. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Sonoma County Regional Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great overnight because you get your groceries on the way, it doesn’t take long to get there, and you’ve got all that time to spend in the park enjoying, relaxing, or doing whatever activity that you’re choosing to do,” she said. “Just because it is so centrally located.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cabins are “minimal” on the inside, Campbell said, with bunk beds and basic mattresses, a porch, barbecue, fire pit and picnic table so you can feel like you’re camping — don’t forget a sleeping bag and pillow — but still have a roof over your head. Plus, campground showers and potable water are accessible nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it can rain quite a bit in the winter here, temperatures are mild – helpful in these unheated cabins. Plus, there’s plenty to keep you occupied nearby, from the \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/environmental-discovery-center\">Environmental Discovery Center\u003c/a> open on weekends to ample fishing and birdwatching along the lake, lagoon and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/spring-lake-regional-park\">Spring Creek Trail\u003c/a>, which is paved and circumnavigates the lake for a mostly flat 2.3 miles. For kids, the Howard Park playground is a short walk away from the cabins, Campbell noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for even more adventure, the park also abuts \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=480\">Trione-Annadel State Park\u003c/a>, where you can get lost in 45 miles of trails — but be aware, it can get muddy in the winter and spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Cabin rentals are typically $82 per night in the winter, accommodating up to 8 people and two vehicles per site. \u003ca href=\"https://secure.sonomacountyparks.org/spring-lake/cabins/\">Reservations can be made here\u003c/a>. Discounts are available for Sonoma County residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Agetawayintheredwoods\">\u003c/a>Relax in the redwoods — inside a state park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several nearby state parks, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=438\">Hendy Woods\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469\">Samuel P. Taylor\u003c/a>, have idyllic cabins nestled in the redwoods. The catch? They get booked up quickly, so it may be hard to snag a weekend reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you can take a day off during the week itself — or even just go out for a quick overnight stay — these spots are worth it for the cozy atmosphere alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Mendocino County’s Hendy Woods State Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044161/bay-area-camping-alternatives-glamping-yurts-cabins-big-sur#B\">the four cabins \u003c/a>are located inside the two main campgrounds between the two groves of old-growth redwood trees, where you can meander among ancient giants, some as big as 300 feet tall. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>There are five miles of trails throughout the park, including the accessible \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/hendy-woods-discovery-trail\">1.4-mile Discovery Trail\u003c/a>, which is an easy stroll that tours you through the main grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to San Francisco, Marin County’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28538\">Samuel P. Taylor\u003c/a> State Park boasts four cabins, each accommodating five people. This park’s location makes it the perfect quick overnight to get away from the city, especially if you’re planning to explore nearby \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a> for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the cabins at both state parks have electricity, covered porches and even small heaters – but every spot is different, so be sure to check your reservation ahead of time. At both state parks, potable water, showers and bathrooms are available in the campgrounds. Bring sleeping bags \u003cem>and \u003c/em>sleeping pads (as no mattresses are provided), and any kitchen supplies you might want for cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Cabin rentals at Hendy Woods and Samuel P. Taylor range from $35 to $100 per night and can be made at \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a>. Be aware that most cabin sites are booked up on weekends, so consider a midweek reservation if you can swing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"AsummitstayinTahoe\">\u003c/a>Explore the snow at Tahoe’s front and backcountry cabins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If your cabin adventure is incomplete without the lure of snow, look no further than the Sierra Club lodges around Tahoe’s Donner Summit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most accessible option here is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/rustic-accommodations/\">Clair Tappaan Lodge\u003c/a>, located in Norden just off Highway 80 near Boreal Resort, Donner Ski Ranch and Sugar Bowl Resorts. This bunk-style lodge, which dates from the 1930s, offers communal dining and a rustic feel, plus options for bagged lunches if you’re heading to the slopes for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But you don’t have to be a resort skier to get the most out of the stay — the lodge rents snowshoes, cross-country skis and sleds for any snowy outing. What’s more, there’s a quiet library to unwind after a long day in the cold, said Andrew Parkhill, the lodge’s general manager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073403\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/A-Peter-Grubb-Hut_resized-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Peter Grubb hut, one of the Sierra Club’s primitive huts in Tahoe’s backcountry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Hipcamp/Sierra Club)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a great option for people that are looking to do something different and be in the mountains, sharing the camaraderie of what the mountains bring,” Parkhill said. “Whether that’s a beautiful view, or watching the snow fall or having a great day on the hill — be it snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or downhill skiing — and just coming back and talking about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeking even more adventure? The Sierra Club also has primitive huts in Tahoe’s backcountry that are accessible only by snowshoe or cross-country ski. Perhaps the easiest to get to is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/peter-grubb-hut/\">Peter Grubb Hut\u003c/a>, which is around a 3-mile hike from I-80. But before you book, make sure you’re seriously prepared: not only are these huts unstaffed, with not much in the way of amenities, but they also require expertise in traveling on snow to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re ready for the challenge, the juice may be worth the squeeze. Akin to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064291/winter-camping-reservations-where-to-go-campsites-near-san-francisco-bay-area\">winter backpacking\u003c/a> — just with an added roof over your head — the reward for your trek is a remote ski lodge with a wood-burning stove, an outhouse and all the new adventure friends you’ll meet once you get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>The huts and lodge can be booked on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairtappaanlodge.com/\">Clair Tappaan Lodge website\u003c/a> or, starting this week, on \u003ca href=\"https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/collections/camping/sierra-club\">Hipcamp.com\u003c/a>. Spots are $82 per person per night in the lodge and $55 in the Peter Grubb or any other backcountry hut.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Anoceansidehostel\">\u003c/a>Overlook the ocean from a unique hostel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Looking for a getaway with ocean vibes and views? While the Bay Area’s two lighthouse hostels aren’t your \u003cem>typical \u003c/em>cabin experiences, they’re utterly unique and charming in their own way — and will surely get you out of your midwinter funk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Run by the same hostel company, \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/montara-8800-cabrillo-highway?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7gIEvHEEAjVxrZR7Sbp-aWB2A2dZhh1SHje2b8sZP7tzsO1WXe_m7QaAm2BEALw_wcB\">HI Point Montara Lighthouse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/pescadero-210-pigeonpoint-road?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7iRwKyt79cmrwHQm_0935emLrvvb7eO3_NzoGkEvl9tAbOzHFZrCrUaAgSfEALw_wcB\">HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse\u003c/a> not only have their own grounds to explore, but are close to some of the Bay Area’s wildest stretches of coastline.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/montara-8800-cabrillo-highway?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7gIEvHEEAjVxrZR7Sbp-aWB2A2dZhh1SHje2b8sZP7tzsO1WXe_m7QaAm2BEALw_wcB\">Montara location\u003c/a> is less than a half an hour south of the city, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Across Highway 1 is \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/montara-mountain-north-peak-loop-trail\">Montara Mountain\u003c/a>, a steep but superb local hike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beaches flank the entire area, and just to the south is \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/seal-cove-cypress-tree-tunnel-moss-beach\">the famed cypress tree tunnel\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/parks/fitzgerald-marine-reserve\">Fitzgerald Marine Reserve\u003c/a>, the ideal winter tidepooling spot. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/parks/news/be-know-you-go-tide-pooling\">Just be sure to read the rules before you go\u003c/a> to keep yourself — and all the local wildlife — safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farther south, near the rural coastal town of Pescadero, is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/pescadero-210-pigeonpoint-road?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22190084370&gbraid=0AAAAAD_KR8q7YVstFKkpxfqmGLgokowzr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7iRwKyt79cmrwHQm_0935emLrvvb7eO3_NzoGkEvl9tAbOzHFZrCrUaAgSfEALw_wcB\">Pigeon Point Lighthouse\u003c/a> location. Be aware: Construction at the lighthouse is currently underway, making this location a bit less serene at the moment during the daytime hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it has its own allure, the highlight of which is a cliffside hot tub and daily guided hikes of the state park. You’re also close by to the elephant seal overlook at \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523\">Año Nuevo State Park\u003c/a> and Pescadero’s quaint downtown, where a stop at \u003ca href=\"https://www.normsmarket.com/\">Arcangeli’s\u003c/a> for artichoke bread and \u003ca href=\"https://www.harleyfarms.com/\">Harley Farms\u003c/a> to see the dairy goats are must-dos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reservations: \u003c/strong>Book a private or shared room \u003ca href=\"https://www.hiusa.org/\">online\u003c/a> for $50 per person in shared dorms. In general, private rooms do not include kitchen access. Shared rooms grant access to common kitchen and living areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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