Tragic Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Claims One Life

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Tragedy struck Palisades Tahoe as an avalanche on Wednesday claimed the life of 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd and left another person injured. The avalanche occurred around 9:30 a.m. on the Palisades side above the GS gully area of KT-22. Four individuals were caught in the avalanche, with two buried, one fatally.

Palisades Tahoe’s mountain operations team conducted avalanche mitigation efforts earlier that day. The resort’s statement mentioned the closure of KT-22, with the overall reopening scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

The debris field is approximately 150′ wide, 450′ long, and 10′ deep, according to the sheriff’s office. Over 100 personnel from Palisades Tahoe participated in the search, supported by Cal Fire resources. Witnesses, including a skier on a lift, shared harrowing accounts of the incident.

Avalanches are a recognized danger in the Tahoe region, with the Sierra Avalanche Center issuing daily danger forecasts. Wednesday’s rating was “considerable.” Palisades Tahoe, previously known as Squaw Valley, hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics and underwent a renaming in 2021 due to concerns about its original name’s derogatory history.

Representative Kevin Kiley expressed gratitude to first responders, and all lifts at Palisades and Alpine were closed for the day. This incident marks the first avalanche-related fatality in the U.S. in 2024.

While the Tahoe region faces known avalanche risks, this event serves as a somber reminder of the unpredictable nature of mountainous terrain.