RENO, Nev. - A tragic incident unfolded at a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe as an avalanche cascaded through a section of expert trails on Wednesday, claiming one life and leaving several injured. The avalanche, occurring around 9:30 a.m., led to the closure of Palisades Tahoe as rescue teams scoured the area under the recently opened K-22 lift, catering to skilled skiers and snowboarders on challenging "black diamond" runs.
Skier Mark Sponsler, a seasoned weather forecaster, arrived at the KT-22 lift amidst fierce winds and white-out conditions to discover its closure, unaware that the avalanche had just struck. Speaking to an eyewitness who witnessed the disaster from above, Sponsler learned that the avalanche debris field measured approximately 150 feet wide, 450 feet long, and 10 feet deep, according to the sheriff's office.
Palisades Tahoe President Dee Byrne expressed sorrow, calling it a "very sad day for my team and everyone here." The Placer County Sheriff’s Office identified the fatality as Kenneth Kidd, 66, a resident of nearby Truckee and Point Reyes. One person sustained a lower leg injury, and two others were treated for unspecified injuries and subsequently released.
The avalanche unfolded on steep slopes in the GS Gully area, despite ski patrols actively assessing avalanche conditions since Sunday, according to Michael Gross, vice president of mountain operations. The cause of the avalanche is currently under investigation. The incident transpired as a powerful storm was anticipated to bring substantial snowfall, up to 2 feet, to the highest elevations by early Thursday.
Palisades, known for hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics, is situated on the western side of Lake Tahoe, approximately 40 miles from Reno, Nevada. At the time of the avalanche, winds at the resort's top reached gusts between 31 mph and 38 mph. Dan Lavely, a 67-year-old season pass holder, described the KT-22 run as a favorite among skilled skiers due to its steep terrain, recalling its use for the giant slalom during the 1960 Olympics.
This incident marks the first U.S. avalanche fatality of the season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. In a chilling parallel, a 2020 avalanche at Alpine Meadows, another California resort, claimed one life and severely injured another a day after a major storm, while a devastating avalanche at the same resort in March 1982 resulted in seven fatalities, including several employees.