FILE: A crosscountry skier walks past a giant trail map of the Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort, which is managed by Sugar Bowl Resort, on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013.
The identities of those killed in this week’s deadly Tahoe avalanche started to emerge Thursday, with multiple sources reporting on at least three women who died in the tragic accident. Officials have declined to share names, as the bodies have yet to be recovered from the mountain while rescuers deal with ongoing blizzard conditions.
The victims include a woman whose children attend a Marin County elementary school, according to an email seen by SFGATE, and two sisters who attended Stanford, according to the New York Times. One sister lived in San Francisco, while the other lived in Idaho; both women were mothers, according to the Times. The paper also reported that the 11-person trip was a group of longtime friends who regularly went on ski trips together.
The Kentfield School District in Marin County sent an email this week obtained by SFGATE that said a mother of two young students was killed in the avalanche. The email, which named the mother and children, said the family “is a cherished part of our community” and said the two boys are with their father as they “navigate this profound loss.”
Sugar Bowl Resort confirmed Wednesday night that multiple victims had connections to the ski resort as well as its elite ski academy, guaranteeing the tragedy will send shock waves through the tight-knit Tahoe area.
“With the heaviest of hearts, we can confirm the loss of multiple lives from within the Sugar Bowl community,” said Rachel Soeharto, a spokesperson for Sugar Bowl Resort, in an emailed statement. “Several members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community and others with strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit, and the backcountry community died in an avalanche at Castle Peak on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.”
An avalanche the size of a football field struck a party of 15 skiers at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday in a backcountry area near Donner Pass as the region faced heavy snow and winds. Six skiers survived the slide and were evacuated by search and rescue teams Tuesday night. Eight bodies have been found and a ninth person is still missing but presumed dead, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department. The eight confirmed deaths make this the deadliest in California since modern record keeping began, officials confirmed to SFGATE.
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
Nevada County Sheriff/AP
Sugar Bowl is one of Tahoe’s snowiest resorts and one of the closest to the Bay Area, with its location near the crest of the Sierra Nevada on Donner Pass. The resort is one of the few remaining ski areas in the region that is still independently owned. Sugar Bowl Academy is an elite private school located near the ski resort that includes both academic education for grades 6 through 12 and ski coaching. The academy has produced many Olympic athletes.
Tuesday’s avalanche is the deadliest in modern California history. The victims were part of a guided trip led by Blackbird Mountain Guides, according to a statement from the company. Several people on the trip were mothers from Mill Valley, according to an interview Max Perrey, the town’s mayor, gave the New York Times. He called the avalanche “a huge tragedy and a huge loss.”
The group included nine women and six men, according to the Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon. Four men and two women survived the avalanche and were rescued from the mountain, according to law enforcement.
A road is cleared during a snowstorm on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, near Soda Springs, Calif.
Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP
Soeharto said Wednesday night that the resort is not sharing personal details about the victims “out of respect for the families affected” because emergency crews are still working to recover the bodies. She said the school and resort are dedicated to standing by the students and families who have lost family members in this week’s tragedy.
News
Only One Reaction: In court, Tanner Horner’s mother pointed at him while giving testimony, and he showed just one attitude
Live: Tanner Horner’s mother testifies after his guilty plea for the murder of Athena Strand by CBS TEXAS on YouTube Tanner Horner’s defense attorneys began presenting their case on Wednesday as they aim to convince the jury to spare him from the death penalty. Earlier this month, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in the death of 7-year-old […]
Only 9 Words: Tanner Horner’s mother broke down in court and spoke a short sentence as she faced her son on the witness stand
Jurors are determining whether to sentence Tanner Horner to life in prison without parole or death Athena Strand; Tanner Lynn Horner.Credit : Texas EquuSearch/Facebook; WFAA/YouTube Tanner Horner’s mother was asked on the stand if she is mad at her son for kidnapping 7-year-old Athena Strand from her driveway on Nov. 30, 2022 and murdering her. Replying […]
Hidden Life: Rex Heuermann’s wife has revealed she documented her disturbing experiences living with her husband, describing him as a m0nster
She was married to Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann for more than two decades, during which time he murdered seven of his eight victims. She lived under the same roof as him, together raising their children in the Massapequa Park, Long Island, home where he lured, tortured and strangled the young women. Asa Ellerup […]
César Domboy and Lauren Lyle are officially breaking their silence on the most heartbreaking Fergus Fraser storyline in Outlander history
🚨 “WE FINALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT DEVASTATING MOMENT…” 🚨 César Domboy and Lauren Lyle are officially breaking their silence on the most heartbreaking Fergus Fraser storyline in Outlander history. 💔 Filming this devastating arc wasn’t just a challenge for the characters—it took a massive emotional toll on the actors themselves. Opening up about the intense […]
Outlander Season 8 left fans stunned, with many saying the creators were too cowardly to do it right
Spoiler alert! The New York Times bestselling author breaks down the biggest moments from Episode 7 of Outlander’s final season. Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan in ‘Outlander’Courtesy: STARZ So much of what happens in Episode 7 of Season 8 of Outlander is either not taken directly from the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon or was created […]
‘Outlander’ Season 8 Episode 7 Ending Explained: What Really Happened to Baby Faith Fraser?
Outlander Season 8 Episode 7 is titled “Evidence of Things Not Seen,” which is a fancy way of summing up the word “faith.” Ever since the shocking Outlander Season 7 finale, fans of the Starz hit have been wondering how exactly Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) daughter Faith could have survived and if […]
End of content
No more pages to load
