On Tuesday, a powerful avalanche close to the Donner Summit north of Lake Tahoe claimed the lives of eight people — with another person still missing but presumed dead. The six women killed, whose ...

Tens of thousands of acres make up the central Sierra Nevada, and skiers have enjoyed the plentiful slopes and cliffs for years, no ski resort required. Backcountry skiing recently entered the ...

A string of recent tragedies, including a fatal avalanche near Lake Tahoe and an unusually deadly winter in Europe, has cast a spotlight on the sport’s inherent dangers. By Cindy Hirschfeld Cindy ...