People connected to Sugar Bowl ski program among those killed in Tahoe avalanche
Multiple people killed in the Lake Tahoe area avalanche that left at least eight people dead were connected to a competitive ski academy at nearby Sugar Bowl Resort, the program said Wednesday.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office has not yet confirmed the names of those who have died, but said that nine women and six men were part of the group overcome by snow near Castle Peak in Nevada County. They were on their way back from a three-day backcountry guided ski trip.
Sugar Bowl Academy, which is based a few miles south of Castle Peak, also did not name people it is connected with who were caught up in the avalanche.
“Multiple members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community and others with strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit, and the backcountry community died,” it said in a statement.
One of the people who died was the spouse of a member of a Nordic search and rescue team for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Wayne Woo. It is unclear if they are also connected to the school.
“This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,” the academy’s Executive Director Stephen McMahon said in a statement. “The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is”
The academy is both a boarding school providing college preparatory courses and a competitive ski training center. It was founded in the early 1990s, but under a different name. It provides ski teams for people from 5 to 23 years old and school for children from 6th to 12th grades.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 10:06 PM with the headline "People connected to Sugar Bowl ski program among those killed in Tahoe avalanche."
