California avalanche is the deadliest in 45 years
FACT THAT THE AVALANCHE DANGER IS STILL VERY HIGH. NOW, EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER ISSUED AN AVALANCHE WARNING FOR PARTS OF THE AREA. THAT WARNING LASTS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING. SO WE WANT TO BRING IN KCRA 3’S BRIAN HICKEY. BRIAN, I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN BACKCOUNTRY SKIING. YOU’VE BEEN BACKCOUNTRY SKIING IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA BEFORE. WHAT CHALLENGES ARE CREWS FACING RIGHT NOW AS THEY CONTINUE THIS EFFORT? YEAH, I’VE DONE A LOT OF BACKCOUNTRY SKIING ON CASTLE PEAK, BUT I’VE NOT BEEN BACK TO FROG LAKE, WHICH IS WHERE THESE HUTS EXIST. AND THIS AVALANCHE IS REPORTED IN THE AREA OF FROG LAKE. I DO KNOW FROM RESEARCH, BECAUSE ONE DAY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THOSE HUTS. THERE’S A VERY STEEP SADDLE ONE MUST PASS THROUGH FROM CASTLE PEAK DOWN TO FROG LAKE, AND BACK OUT AGAIN TO VISIT THOSE HUTS. IF THAT’S THE ROUTE YOU CHOOSE TO GO IN THERE. AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE AVALANCHE TERRAIN. AND SO GIVEN WHERE THIS IS CURRENTLY REPORTED, THAT APPEARS TO BE THE SITUATION WHERE THERE IS SOME VERY STEEP TERRAIN THERE, AVALANCHE PRONE TERRAIN AND OBVIOUSLY THE CONDITIONS, AS YOU CAN WELL SEE IN MY LIVE SHOT RIGHT NOW, NOW WE’RE AT PALISADES TAHOE. TO BE CLEAR, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SLIDE, BUT I WANT TO USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. YOU CAN SEE BEHIND US MOMENTS AGO WE COULD NOT EVEN SEE RED DOG FACE, WHICH IS A PROMINENT RUN RIGHT HERE AT THE BASE OF PALISADES TAHOE. AND I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE IN THESE CONDITIONS, THIS LIMITED VISIBILITY, IT IS VERY EASY TO FIND YOURSELF AT THE BASE OF A HAZARD THAT YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A STEEP SLOPE ABOVE THEM. IT’S EASY TO GET TURNED AROUND IN THOSE CONDITIONS. AND SO THESE ARE ALL FACTORS THAT NOT ONLY A GROUP TRYING TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT AREA WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH, BUT ALSO RESCUERS WHO ARE GOING THERE AND TRYING TO AFFECT A RESCUE. THEY TOO ARE DEALING WITH THESE VERY SAME CONDITIONS. OF COURSE, THEY’RE GOING TO BRING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT WITH THEM, ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THEY VISIT THESE AREAS ROUTINELY, ESPECIALLY AREAS LIKE THE FROG LAKE HUTS, THE PETER GRUBHUB OFF THE BACKSIDE OF CASTLE PEAK, AND OTHER AREAS THAT ARE POPULAR AMONG SNOWSHOERS AND BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS WHERE TIMES, YOU KNOW, BY PROBABILITY, SOMEBODY’S GOING TO GET LOST. AND SO THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THESE AREAS. THERE’S MULTIPLE TEAMS HEADING IN RIGHT NOW. TWO SNOWCATS THE LAST I HEARD, A COUPLE OF SNOWMOBILES AND THEN ALSO SKIERS ON FOOT THAT ARE APPROACHING FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT ANGLES TO TRY TO GET IN THERE. NOW, THIS HAPPENED AT 1130. WE’RE NOW IN THE 5:00 HOUR. AND IF THERE ARE SOME BURIALS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF UNACCOUNTED SKIERS RIGHT NOW UNACCOUNTED FOR SKIERS. THAT IS A LONG TIME TO BE EXPOSED, WHETHER EITHER TRAPPED OR FULL BURIAL IN SNOW. WE’RE JUST HOPING FOR THE SAFETY OF THE THE LOST. AND ALSO THOSE THAT ARE GOING IN TO TRY TO EFFECT A RESCUE IN THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE AROUND US RIGHT NOW. SEND IT BACK TO YOU GUYS. YEAH.
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The fatal avalanche in California on Tuesday is the deadliest avalanche the nation has faced since 1981. Eight skiers were killed in the Lake Tahoe region, and one remains missing.The only deadlier avalanche was in 1981 when 11 climbers were killed ascending Mount Rainer in Washington, according to data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center that goes back to 1950.Since the turn of the century, there has been an average of 22 fatal avalanches per year, resulting in about 26 deaths annually.Avalanches are rarer in California compared to other mountainous states. Colorado has experienced by far the most avalanches of any state, followed by Alaska, Utah, Montana and Washington.This was the 57th fatal avalanche to occur in California. While not included in the Colorado Avalanche Information Center records — which only date back to 1950 — there was another similarly deadly avalanche in the state in 1911. Eight people were killed by an avalanche in Mono County near Conway Summit.Here is a map of where other fatal incidents have occurred in the state since 1950.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
The fatal avalanche in California on Tuesday is the deadliest avalanche the nation has faced since 1981.
Eight skiers were killed in the Lake Tahoe region, and one remains missing.
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The only deadlier avalanche was in 1981 when 11 climbers were killed ascending Mount Rainer in Washington, according to data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center that goes back to 1950.
Since the turn of the century, there has been an average of 22 fatal avalanches per year, resulting in about 26 deaths annually.
Avalanches are rarer in California compared to other mountainous states.
Colorado has experienced by far the most avalanches of any state, followed by Alaska, Utah, Montana and Washington.
This was the 57th fatal avalanche to occur in California.
While not included in the Colorado Avalanche Information Center records — which only date back to 1950 — there was another similarly deadly avalanche in the state in 1911. Eight people were killed by an avalanche in Mono County near Conway Summit.
Here is a map of where other fatal incidents have occurred in the state since 1950.
