A series of devastating avalanches claimed the lives of three backcountry skiers on Monday in Oregon and California, marking a tragic day for the winter sports community.
In Oregon's Cascade Mountains, two experienced skiers, described as a couple and longtime residents of Central Oregon, were killed when an avalanche struck at an elevation of 6,700 feet in an area known as Happy Valley, near Broken Top Peak. Friends discovered their bodies just before midnight after the pair failed to return from their excursion. According to the Central Oregon Avalanche Center, the skiers likely triggered the avalanche themselves.
"As longtime residents of Central Oregon, they have touched many lives, and their legacy will continue to live on in our community," stated the Avalanche Center. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.
On the same day in California, a 46-year-old South Lake Tahoe resident, Frederic Dross, lost his life in a separate avalanche incident near Powderhouse Peak. After being reported overdue, Dross was found deceased by friends in an avalanche field. Due to hazardous weather conditions, recovery operations were delayed until Tuesday, when crews used controlled explosives to secure the area before retrieving his body by helicopter.
The incidents prompted warnings from local authorities about current avalanche risks. The Central Cascades are experiencing "considerable" avalanche danger, rated 3 on a 5-point scale. Both the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office urged winter sports enthusiasts to exercise extreme caution and stay informed about avalanche conditions before venturing into backcountry areas.
These tragic events serve as stark reminders of the inherent risks in backcountry skiing and the importance of monitoring avalanche forecasts before heading into mountainous terrain.