LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Blackbird Mountain Guides has announced it is no longer operating.
“We are forever grateful for the kindness of our community,” stated the company on its website with the closure announcement.
On Feb. 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., a group of 16 skiers on a backcountry cross-country ski trip with Blackbird in the Castle Peak area north of Lake Tahoe encountered an avalanche. The tragedy claimed the lives of three Blackbird employees and six clients. One of the deceased employees was from South Lake Tahoe.
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) investigated the incident and, upon completion, issued $151,300 in total penalties for seven citations to Blackbird Mountain Guides of Truckee, Calif. On August 21, 2026, Blackbird filed a formal appeal of the citations. They also hired an independent investigator to look into the tragedy.
The largest penalty of the seven was an $81,000 fine for a “willful-serious” violation related to traveling in high-danger avalanche terrain.
It does not appear the fines were paid.
“The citations do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built,” Blackbird Mountain Guides said at the time. “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. Mountain guiding takes place in dynamic wilderness environments where conditions change minute to minute — it’s not a controlled setting such as construction sites. We welcome the opportunity to work with Cal/OSHA to contextualize the unique realities of operating in backcountry environments.”