Less than a year after a devastating avalanche killed nine people on a backcountry ski trip in California, the company that was in charge of the journey is no longer in business.
"Blackbird Mountain Guides is no longer operating," says the company's website without providing any details. "We are forever grateful for the kindness of our community."
The avalanche struck a party of 15 who were adventuring in the backcountry of California's Sierra Nevada just outside of Lake Tahoe on Feb. 17. Killing three guides and six married mothers who loved the outdoors, the avalanche was the deadliest in the U.S. in over 40 years.
In the wake of the tragedy, Blackbird Mountain Guides faced tough questions about why the backcountry adventure moved forward despite
dire warnings about a storm that was expected to bring up to 8 feet of fresh snow and create "very dangerous" avalanche conditions.
Blackbird Mountain Guides founder Zeb Blais said in a statement at the time that the four guides who led the 11 guests on the trip into and throughout the backcountry were highly experienced and trained, and that they all had extensive knowledge about avalanches.
In August, the company released a report that found the group ventured into the avalanche zone only after they were unable to make a safer crossing at a creek likely because of "open water and vertical sidewalls." The creek normally is covered in snow and crossable in the winter, the report said.
Here's what else you need to know, including who the avalanche victims were, what their families have said and what consequences Blackbird Mountain Guides have faced.
Who was killed in the avalanche?
The six married moms who were killed in the avalanche were: Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt. They lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Lake Tahoe-Truckee region, and Idaho.
In a statement to USA TODAY at the time, their families said they were "devastated beyond words" by their "sudden and profound loss."
"They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains," they said. "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 three guides killed in the avalanche were 34-year-old Andrew Alissandratos of Verdi, Nevada, 42-year-old Niki Choo of Lake Tahoe, and 30-year-old Mike Henry of Tampa, Florida.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said they were "skilled professionals, colleagues, and friends whose passion for the mountains shaped who we are."
What have the victims' families said about what happened?
In addition to their profound grief, the families of those killed in the avalanche have had to grapple with the "what ifs" surrounding the disaster.
What if the company had postponed the trip because of the weather? What if the group had taken a different route to exit the backcountry that day? What if they had returned earlier or later?
"We have many unanswered questions," the families said in Februrary. "The trip had been organized well in advance. They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains. They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip."
Has Blackbird Mountain Guides faced consequences from disaster?
In August, Cal/OSHA announced that it was issuing citations and fining the company more than $150,000 dollars for violations.
In response, the company said in a statement that "the citations do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built."
"We believe Blackbird operated in full compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and consistent with the established safety frameworks of the broader professional mountain guiding industry," the company said. "Mountain guiding takes place in dynamic wilderness environments where conditions change minute to minute − it's not a controlled setting such as construction sites."
USA TODAY could not find any lawsuits that have been filed against Blackbird Mountain Guides.
In February, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a news conference that authorities were investigating "the totality" of the tragedy, including finding out why the trip wasn't canceled given the advanced weather warnings.
“Lots of forecasts on this storm,” Moon said at the time. “Those are the decisions that the guide company clearly had made. We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made."
The sheriff's office concluded the criminal probe in August and forwarded its findings to the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office, which has not yet announced whether any criminal charges will be filed in the matter, according to reporting by the Sierra Sun.
When Moon announced the investigation, she told reporters what the most important aspect of the investigation was.
"I think that's the core piece of my mind," she said, "is wanting to be able to provide answers to the families that were affected, the guide members that were present and the clients that paid for this trip."
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime and courts reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Company closes doors after avalanche killed 9 on California ski trip
