US Guide Company Fined $150K After Avalanche Kills Nine
22nd August 2026
Six skiers and three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides died in California’s deadliest avalanche last February. NEW
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Cal/OSHA, has issued $151,300 (£110,968) in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides for seven alleged violations it found.
The largest fine, $81,000, (£60,000 ) was for “failing to correct the imminent hazard posed by traveling in avalanche terrain when the avalanche danger was rated high.”
The agency issued the fines earlier this month.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said it has filed a formal appeal and that it believes it was in “full compliance” with all regulatory requirements.
A separate investigation by Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations, which reviews workplace deaths for possible criminal charges, is continuing.
The nine people who died were part of a group of 15 backcountry skiers who were on a tour organised by Blackbird Mountain Guides near Frog Lake in California’s Sierra Nevada.
See here for our reports from the time:
- Nine skiers missing after avalanche in USA
- Bodies of nine skiers recovered from US avalanche
- Report into worst US ski avalanche published
“The citations do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built,” Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement.
“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.”
“Guides pursue knowledge and excellence as a lifelong responsibility and the guides on this trip approached their work with care and professionalism,” said Blackbird Mountain Guides owner Zeb Blais.
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