Idaho woman killed in Lake Tahoe avalanche. What we know about deadly ski trip
An Idaho woman died in California’s deadliest avalanche in modern history, according to a family spokesperson.
Liz Clabaugh, 52, of Boise died in the avalanche near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada along with her 45-year-old sister, Caroline Sekar of San Francisco, their brother McAlister Clabaugh told The New York Times.
They are among nine people who lost their lives Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the mountain snowslide.
“These are two of the best people I’ve ever known,” Clabaugh told the Times. “They were incredible sisters, mothers, wives and friends.”
“Caroline spent her final days doing what she loved best, with the people who loved her most, in her favorite place,” Sekar’s husband of 20 years, Kiren Sekar, told The Times. “She was with me, her children and our puppy, and then on one last adventure with her sister and close friends, who she now rests with.”
Liz Clabaugh, Caroline Sekar, Carrie Atkin, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse and Kate Vitt “were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” the families said in a statement released Thursday by Jessica Weaver of JVP Communications, who’s representing them.
“We are devastated beyond words.” the statement said. “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.”
What happened during backcountry ski trip in California?
A group of 11 ski trip participants and four professional guides were returning from a three-day trip in the backcountry on Feb. 17 when an avalanche struck.
The skiers were accompanied by guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides of Truckee, California, when they were caught in a severe snowstorm near the Castle Peak area.
“Eight close friends planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake Huts outside Truckee,” the families said.
Searchers rescued six members of the group.
“Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 17 news release, noting that the skiers had “varying injuries.” “Two of the six skiers (were) transported to a hospital for treatment.”
Search-and-rescue teams had found and recovered the remains of nine of the skiers as of Saturday, Feb. 21, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
“Nine individuals who lost their lives in the Castle Peak avalanche on Feb. 17 have been safely recovered from the mountain,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a Saturday Facebook post. “The first five individuals were recovered on the evening of Feb. 20 and the remaining four on the morning of Feb. 21”
“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,” Weaver said.
Who were skiers killed in Lake Tahoe avalanche?
At least some of the 15 skiers caught in the avalanche near Lake Tahoe knew each other from college, McAlister Clabaugh told the Times.
According to the family statement, the six victims identified by Weaver were skilled backcountry skiers who were “fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment” on their trip.
Blackbird Mountain Guides lost three professionals in the avalanche, officials said.
“There are no words that truly capture the significance of this loss and our hearts mourn alongside the families of those affected by this catastrophic event,” Moon said. “The weight of this event is felt across many families, friends, and colleagues, and we stand together with them during this difficult time.”
According to officials, these are the names, ages and hometowns of the people who died in the Castle Peak avalanche:
- Blackbird Mountain Guide Andrew Alissandratos: 34, of Verdi, Nevada
- Carrie Atkin: 46, of Soda Springs, California
- Blackbird Miuntain Guide Nicole Choo: 42, of South Lake Tahoe, California
- Lizabeth Clabaugh: 52, of Boise
- Blackbird Mountain Guide Michael Henry: 30, from Soda Springs, California
- Danielle Keatley: 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, California
- Kate Morse: 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, California
- Caroline Sekar: 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco
- Katherine Vitt: 43, of Greenbrea, California
“They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip.”
The Sacramento Bee’s Camila Pedrosa contributed reporting.
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 10:28 AM.
