Nevada City, California — Authorities have identified six of the eight people killed in Tuesday’s catastrophic avalanche near Castle Peak, close to Lake Tahoe, describing them as experienced backcountry skiers and devoted mothers who had traveled together for a planned winter excursion.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, the avalanche struck a group of 15 skiers during a three-day trip in the high country near Frog Lake Huts.
The slide is being described by officials as one of the deadliest avalanches in the United States in decades.
Eight people were confirmed dead, six survived, and one person remains missing and is presumed dead.
Recovery operations have been delayed due to hazardous terrain and ongoing avalanche risk, and officials said it may take additional time before crews can safely resume body recovery and search efforts.
Families of the victims released a joint statement identifying six of the women who lost their lives: Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt.
The women were from the Bay Area, the Truckee-Tahoe region and Idaho.
They were described as longtime friends, many connected through college and shared skiing communities.
Two sisters were among those killed: Liz Clabaugh, who lived in Boise, Idaho, and Caroline Sekar, a San Francisco resident and mother of two.
Their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told national media that the loss of both sisters is “impossible to put into words.” The family has asked for privacy as they grieve.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo confirmed that one of the victims was married to a member of a local backcountry search and rescue team, underscoring the deep ties many of the women had within the mountain community.
In their statement, families emphasized that the trip had been carefully organized well in advance and that the group consisted of experienced backcountry skiers who respected avalanche conditions.
They said the women were trained, properly equipped with avalanche safety gear, and accompanied by professional guides.
The group had planned to stay at the remote Frog Lake Huts, accessible only through challenging alpine terrain.
The avalanche occurred amid intensifying winter storm warnings across the Sierra Nevada.
Officials have not yet released the names of the two other victims or the individual still missing.
The tragedy has reverberated across Northern California’s tight-knit ski community. Sugar Bowl Academy, a private ski and snowboard training school on Donner Summit, issued a public statement mourning the loss of individuals with strong ties to the academy and the broader backcountry network.
Executive Director Stephen McMahon described the region as “an incredibly close and connected community,” adding that the disaster has deeply affected families across Donner Summit and beyond.
As rescue and recovery teams continue their work, families say their immediate focus is supporting the children and loved ones left behind and honoring the lives of Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt — women remembered not only as skilled skiers, but as mothers, friends and pillars of their communities.
