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2026-11-12

Blackbird Mountain Guides Ceases Operations Nine Months After Castle Peak Avalanche




Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company that led the backcountry ski trip in which nine people died in a February 2026 avalanche near Castle Peak in California’s Sierra Nevada, has ceased operations. The Truckee-based guiding company posted a brief notice on its website stating, “Blackbird Mountain Guides is no longer operating. We are forever grateful for the kindness of our community.”

The undated announcement appears beneath a tribute to the nine people killed in the February 17 avalanche, which released from the slopes of Perry’s Peak in the Castle Peak area near Donner Pass. Three Blackbird guides and six clients died during the company’s guided backcountry trip to the Frog Lake huts. “Wherever we are in the mountains — every ridge, every quiet morning — the nine we lost are with us. In our hearts. Always,” the tribute reads.



Related: 8 Skiers Found Dead After Castle Peak Avalanche, CA, 1 Still Missing



The company has not provided an explanation for its closure. Its social media accounts also appear to have been deleted. Founded in 2020 by mountain guide Zeb Blais, Blackbird grew during a period of rapid expansion in backcountry skiing. The COVID-19 pandemic brought more skiers into the backcountry as people sought alternatives to crowded resorts and lift-served terrain.

The company developed a substantial guiding and avalanche education business, operating in California and Washington and offering trips across North America, Europe and South America. It also became a major provider of courses based on the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) curriculum. By 2024, Blackbird said it was offering more AIARE courses than any other company in the United States.



The closure comes nearly nine months after the avalanche, which buried 12 members of the 15-person group and killed nine. The six survivors included three people who helped dig others out of the snow.

The accident occurred during a powerful winter storm. On the morning of February 17, 2026, the Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a warning advising against travel in, near or below avalanche terrain. The center warned that slides from higher slopes could reach through forested areas that might otherwise appear safe. Blackbird faced intense scrutiny over the decision to leave the Frog Lake huts and travel toward the trailhead along Interstate 80 as the storm continued.



Related: ”We are Heartbroken” — Blackbird Mountain Guides Speak After Castle Peak, CA, Avalanche



The company maintained that its guides were following a route identified for use during periods of high avalanche danger. In August, it released a preliminary report prepared by independent avalanche professional Don Sharaf. The report described the group’s attempts to navigate away from avalanche runout zones, including efforts to move toward lower-risk terrain before an open creek obstructed their route. The report did not assign blame to Blackbird. However, it did not resolve why the group left the huts that morning despite the high avalanche danger and the avalanche center’s recommendation against travel.



In August, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal-OSHA, issued seven citations against Blackbird Mountain Guides, proposing penalties totaling $151,300. The largest proposed penalty, $81,000, concerned an alleged willful-serious violation involving the failure to correct the imminent hazard of traveling in avalanche terrain when the danger was rated high. Other citations alleged shortcomings in avalanche hazard assessment, employee training, protective equipment, emergency response procedures and the timely reporting of the deaths of three employees.



Related: Official Report on the Castle Peak Avalanche That Killed 9



Blackbird disputed the findings and filed a formal appeal on August 21. “The citations do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built,” the company said in its appeal announcement. Blackbird argued that it had operated in compliance with applicable regulations and the professional safety frameworks governing mountain guiding. The appeal remains pending, according to the California workplace safety agency.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office also opened a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the avalanche and the deaths of the six clients. The investigation was forwarded to the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office for review in August. As of November 11, prosecutors had not announced whether criminal charges would be filed.

Cal-OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations has also been conducting a separate investigation into the workplace deaths.

The company’s closure does not resolve either investigation, and no criminal charges had been announced at the time of publication.



The post Blackbird Mountain Guides Ceases Operations Nine Months After Castle Peak Avalanche appeared first on SnowBrains.

Ссылка на источник: https://snowbrains.com/blackbird-mountain-guides-ceases-operations/


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