Mothers, adventurers: 6 victims of Tahoe avalanche are ID'd by families 'devastated beyond words'

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Most of the victims of California’s deadliest avalanche in modern history were part of a tight-knit circle — a group of moms who lived across Northern California and in Idaho and liked to meet up for mountain adventures.Six of the nine people who died in the avalanche north of Lake Tahoe on Tuesday were part of that group of close friends who had together planned the backcountry ski trip.

The other three victims were hired guides who led the expedition.The families of the women said in a statement that they were “devastated beyond words.”“Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women,” the statement said.

“They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”Officials have located the remains of eight of the victims.The ninth individual remains unaccounted for but is presumed dead, according to authorities.

Six people were rescued from where the group encountered an avalanche in the Castle Peak area.Although the families have identified some of the deceased, officials have not yet released the names of those killed, and extreme weather in the area has continued to stymie efforts to retrieve their remains.As information has slowly revealed more about the ski trip and those who died in the devastating avalanche, grief has shaken communities across the region.

“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the family said in the statement, which also requested privacy for their loved ones.The eight women — six of whom died on the trip — were part of a group of 15 who were at the end of a three-day backcountry skiing trip to the Frog Lake huts when the avalanche occurred.

The 15 included four paid guides from the Truckee-based compa...