In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory

In loving memory of the eight skiers who tragically lost their lives following the devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe.

Amid fierce winter storms sweeping across the West Coast, a group of adventurers set out on a three-day trek through Northern California’s Sierra Nevada — a landscape both breathtaking and unforgiving. As they made their way back toward camp near Donner Summit, an avalanche struck, burying members of the group beneath heavy snow and gale-force winds.

Despite extraordinary efforts from search and rescue teams — many of them dedicated volunteers — the mission transitioned from rescue to recovery. Eight lives were lost, and one person remains missing. Six survivors endured extreme conditions, using their training and equipment to shelter themselves and cling to hope until help could reach them.

Authorities, including the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, described the weather as relentless and the terrain perilous. The avalanche has been reported as the deadliest in the United States since the 1981 tragedy on Mount Rainier, where 11 climbers lost their lives.

Today, we remember those who perished not for the storm that overtook them, but for their courage, their love of the mountains, and the lives they shared with family and friends. May their passion for the outdoors be honored with reverence. May their families find strength in one another. And may the bravery of the rescuers — who give so much of themselves in times of crisis — never go unnoticed.

May their memories endure like the mountains they so deeply cherished.