Blackbird Mountain Guides Face $151K Fine | Fresno News

Blackbird Mountain Guides faces a $151,300 Cal-OSHA fine after a deadly Tahoe avalanche killed nine people — three guides and six clients — citing failures in risk assessment, unsafe group combinations, delayed reporting of death, and lack of proper safety gear. The company disputes the citations, arguing their operations are standard for high-risk terrain, while an anonymous former guide claims regulators lacked expertise. Criminal probes by Nevada County and Cal-OSHA continue, with one “willful-serious” violation carrying an $81,000 penalty. Experts still grapple with how an experienced team ended up in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in history — and whether Blackbird’s procedures truly failed or if missteps occurred despite training. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/828fa14a9d679c1d