Crews Recover Bodies of 9 Backcountry Skiers Days After California Avalanche

Crews Recover Bodies of 9 Backcountry Skiers Days After California Avalanche
A road is cleared during a snow storm on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier
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TRUCKEE, Calif.—Crews recovered the bodies of nine backcountry skiers who were killed by an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada, authorities said Saturday, concluding a harrowing operation that was hindered by intense snowfall.

A search team reached the bodies of eight victims and found one other who had been missing and presumed dead since Tuesday’s avalanche on Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe. The ninth person who was missing was found “relatively close” to the other victims, according to Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Hack, but was impossible to see due to whiteout conditions at that time.