A group of six mothers who bonded over their love of the outdoors were among the skiers killed in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, according to family and friends.
In a statement reported by The New York Times, the families confirmed that Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt were among the victims. Sekar, 45, and Clabaugh, 52, were sisters.
“They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” the families said. “They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”
According to the families, the women were on a guided, two-night trip to the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts outside Truckee, California, and were all experienced skiers “fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”
Eight women went on the friends’ trip, according to the statement, and two were among the survivors rescued from the avalanche.
As of Thursday night, rescuers had found the bodies of eight skiers killed in the avalanche. Another skier still missing is also presumed dead.
They were all part of a group of 15, including four guides, who had embarked on a multi-day backcountry expedition near Castle Peak, in the Sierra Nevada, according to news reports. Six skiers from the group survived.
Several skiers in the group were members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community, a private boarding school and ski club near Donner Summit.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
