Deadly Truckee Avalanche: New Report Reveals Group Was 50 Feet From Safety

The deadliest avalanche in modern California history claimed nine lives near Truckee in February, and a new preliminary report is shedding light on exactly what went wrong. The group of 15, including three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, was attempting to exit the backcountry along a pre-mapped safe route when an open creek blocked their path. They diverted into a flat drainage, which put them directly in the path of a slide that released from a slope 390 feet above. The report, compiled by avalanche investigator Don Sharaf using GPS data and survivor interviews, shows the group was buried just 50 feet from the mapped route they were trying to reach.

Thirteen of the 15 people in the group were caught in the avalanche, and 12 were buried with their heads beneath the snow. All nine victims, including guides Andrew Alissandratos and Nicole Choo, died of asphyxiation. The rescue was chaotic and heroic. Survivors dug out four people with their hands, and surviving guide Ryan Tilley made the call to keep searching after the initial sweep. Rescuers recovered eight bodies first, then learned a ninth person was still missing. The owner of Blackbird Mountain Guides, Zeb Blais, said in a statement:“There is nothing easy about any part of this. Nine deeply loved people are gone, three of them our own guides.”

For Sacramento residents, the Sierras are our backyard. From the American River to the trails around Tahoe, we are fortunate to have world-class outdoor recreation right in our region. But this tragedy raises hard questions about guide decision-making, avalanche safety protocols, and risk management. Criminal and OSHA investigations are still ongoing, and there is an active debate about whether high-danger ratings should stop guided trips entirely. What do you think? When you head into the backcountry, how much trust do you put in the people leading you? Share your thoughts in the comments.