More than a month after the deadly avalanche that killed nine people in the backcountry near Lake Tahoe, avalanche experts have released a report about what happened during that accident. The report was published on Tuesday and compiled by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and the National A valanche Center. The report detailed that during the storm going on when this happened, wind gusts were strong atop nearby peaks, with maximum gusts ranging from 60 to 125 miles per hour. The conditions were described as “an intense storm with very poor visibility.” The avalanche happened on February 17, and the findings in the report indicated it took place at around 11:00 a.m. that day. The group of 15 backcountry skiers was on Perry Peak near Frog Lake and Castle Peak on the northeast slope of Donner Summit. The report said that 13 people were buried by snow in the avalanche. The authors acknowledge that many details around this accident are still unknown, and their understanding of what happened relies on the accounts of two survivors to the New York Times. According to this report, when the avalanche happened, one client and one guide had fallen behind the group as the guide helped the client with an equipment issue. “This separation may have kept them from being caught in the avalanche along with the rest of their party,” the report said, noting that the guide and client who were not caught in the avalanche were crucial in helping to save the lives of other survivors. The report highlighted risks this group of backcountry skiiers faced, noting the group, “traveled below avalanche terrain and through the runout zone of an avalanche path during a period when a natural or human triggered avalanche was likely to very likely.” The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that this group traveled through an area that was higher-risk for avalanches when other routes were available. The report also indicated this group did not follow a backcountry travel best practice of only exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain. The report also noted that larger groups have higher chances of being caught up in avalanches, noting this group was made up of 15 people. Dale Atkins, a longtime mountain rescuer and the past president of the American Avalanche Association, told NBC Bay Area, “Reading the report about the accident is painful.” He added, “But in some ways it’s not that unusual from other accidents that happen around the us and even around the world.” Atkins noted that avalanches happen to backcountry groups each year. “What makes this one so unique is most all of them got buried, and that’s probably because they were already at the bottom of the slope, so they didn’t get carried by the avalanche; they just got mowed over,” he continued. Atkins said that because of the intense weather conditions, the group was likely caught between trying to avoid avalanche risk while also keeping everyone together. “Surviving an avalanche is about luck, but you can put yourself in a lucky place when you have knowledgeable, skilled people with the right gear,” Atkins said, noting that the quick actions of the guide and client who were not caught up in the avalanche likely prevented further deaths. The report said it is still unclear if this was a natural avalanche or if it was triggered by the group. This tragedy hit close to home for many in the Bay Area, especially because a group of moms and longtime friends ( most of whom were from the Bay Area) were among the victims. ...read more read less