The final three victims of the Tahoe avalanche share three disturbing traits, leaving many observers shaken

“They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” the families said in the statement. “They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”

The group of skiers got caught in the avalanche at the conclusion of a three-day backcountry skiing trip near Lake Tahoe, according to a previous statement from Blackbird Mountain Guides.

Six members of the group were able to survive, spending hours in the snow and cold before help arrived. The next day, officials announced that eight people had been found dead, while a ninth skier remained missing, but was presumed dead at the time.

Efforts to recover their bodies were hampered by the weather.

In a joint statement, the families of six previously identified victims said the fatal avalanche left them with “many unanswered questions.”

“The trip had been organized well in advance,” the families wrote, noting that the friends on the trip “were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains.”

“They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip,” the statement continued.

“We are profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond,” they wrote. “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.”