A mother from a wealthy Bay Area enclave was identified as one of the eight people killed in the tragic Lake Tahoe-area avalanche.
The mayor of Mill Valley, located about 14 miles north of San Francisco, revealed the woman was one of several mothers from the city to join the ill-fated ski trip.
He did not provide the victim’s name or any additional information about the group.
Alder Creek Adventure Center, one of two sites where search crews were launched to try to locate a group of missing skiers on February 18, 2026. REUTERS
A mother from Bay Area enclave Mill Valley was identified as one of the eight people killed in the Lake Tahoe avalanche. Pictured is a picturesque street at Mill Valley Lumber Yard
Mill Valley Lumber Yard“Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted,” Mayor Max Perrey said. “It’s a huge tragedy and a huge loss.”
It was not clear whether the Mill Valley mothers were associated with the Sugar Bowl Academy, a private ski company based just miles from the avalanche site, which confirmed some of the victims were members.
The mother who was confirmed dead had a “zest for life,” according to neighbors.
Here are the latest stories on the California Avalanche:
- First photo from site of deadly Lake Tahoe avalanche — as rescuer speaks out from snowed-in huts
- Mom from wealthy Bay Area enclave identified as victim in horrorific Tahoe avalanche
- Anatomy of the avalanche tragedy: how a ski trip turned into a deadly descent
- Ski academy rocked as ‘multiple’ Tahoe avalanche deaths linked to youth school parents
Emergency responders deploy to rescue skiers caught in an avalanche in the Castle Peak area near Truckee Feb. 17. ZUMAPRESS.com
Search teams have been working tirelessly to find the last victim after the avalanche. Instagram/John Robert Gilchrist 380 posts“It’s devastating, I mean it’s ski week, she’s got two adorable little kids and we watch them just for the past couple of years walking back and forth from school,” Kim, a neighbor, told NBC Bay Area. “She has so much verve and zest for life and she was just a lovely neighbor.
“It’s just so scary, like you never think this is going to happen,” Kim added.
On Tuesday, a group of 15 people were caught in the avalanche, California’s deadliest in modern history.
Six people were rescued, and the search for one person presumed dead is still ongoing.
It was not clear whether the Mill Valley mothers caught in the avalanche were associated with the Sugar Bowl Academy, a private ski company based just miles from the avalanche site near Lake Tahoe. Instagram/@sugarbowlacademy
“Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted,” Mayor Max Perrey said of the avalanche. Max Perrey / InstagramThe group was in the mountains near Lake Tahoe when the avalanche overwhelmed them as they were backcountry skiing with guidance from private company Blackbird Mountain Guides.
Sugar Bowl Academy said it was not releasing names out of respect for the families affected. The academy is a private boarding school and ski club near Donner Summit.
“We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,” Stephen McMahon, the executive director of Sugar Bowl Academy, said in a statement. “The best thing we can do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing.”
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