Backcountry Split Turns Fatal in Sierra Nevada Avalanche

Two backcountry groups split up to exit Sierra Nevada huts ahead of a major storm: four friends from Frog Lake Huts and about 15 clients/guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides. By Tuesday, a massive avalanche on a north-facing slope near Perry’s Point buried the Blackbird group, killing at least eight, with six survivors and one missing; 3–6 feet of snow and winds up to 60 mph followed several dry, sunny days, and forecasters warned of a weak, destabilizing layer. Survivors who sheltered under a tarp were rescued after hours of whiteout conditions. Questions linger about why the Blackbird party left on Tuesday and whether a different route or delaying departure could have changed the outcome. The tragedy is the deadliest avalanche in the United States in more than four decades.