The town of Truckee, California, is reeling after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe claimed the lives of eight people on Tuesday, with one more presumed dead. The tragedy has deeply impacted the close-knit community of just over 17,000 residents, many of whom are avid outdoor enthusiasts familiar with the risks of the Castle Peak wilderness.
“You can witness Castle Peak from most of Truckee,” Mayor Anna Klovstad said. “That’s also where many of us play.” Klovstad described the news as “traumatizing” for the town, noting the interconnectedness of its residents, many of whom work as winter or summer guides, or in related industries.
Six of the victims have been identified as women: Carrie Atkin, a resident of the Truckee-Tahoe area; Danielle Keatley and Kate Morse, both from Marin County, California; Kate Vitt, also of Marin County; Caroline Sekar of San Francisco; and Liz Clabaugh of Boise, Idaho. Clabaugh and Sekar were sisters, and Vitt was a mother of students in the Kentfield School District.
The group was comprised of eight close friends and experienced backcountry skiers on a trip together, according to a statement released by their families. Authorities have said it may be at least another day before they can recover the bodies and continue the search for the ninth missing skier, who is presumed dead.
In response to the tragedy, the community is organizing several events to offer support and remembrance. A vigil is planned for 6 p.m. On Sunday in downtown Truckee. A grief support listening session is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. To 2 p.m. At Sierra College. An interfaith service will be held at the Church of the Mountains on Monday at 5:30 p.m., followed by drop-in support hours.
Klovstad emphasized the immediate outpouring of support from residents eager to help. “Almost immediately, members of the community reached out offering their support and wanted to know how they could help,” she said.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the recovery efforts, while Cal/OSHA is investigating Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company the skiers were with. The avalanche is the deadliest in the U.S. In decades.
