Kenneth Kidd, a resident of nearby Truckee and Point Reyes, was identified as the skier who tragically died Wednesday during an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe.
The 66-year-old Kidd was identified by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Sheriff’s report, the avalanche also caused one person to suffer a lower leg injury and two others had unspecified injuries and were released.
The avalanche came roaring down a section of expert trails on KT-22 at Palisades Tahoe, sweeping up four people and killing one. A major storm with snow and gusty winds hit Palisades Tahoe and the region Wednesday (Jan. 11).
The avalanche took place around 9:30 a.m. and Palisades Tahoe quickly closed the resort as search crews engulfed the area under the K-22 lift. The famed lift had opened for the first time this season 30 minutes earlier. It’s a popular “black diamond” area that’s well-traveled by local expert skiers and snowboarders.
The avalanche occurred on steep slopes in the GS Gully area. Michael Gross, vice president of mountain operations, said ski patrols had been on the slopes checking the avalanche conditions since Sunday.
“They’ve been up there doing control work, evaluating weather conditions, setting up all safety markings, hazard markings, et cetera, to get them prepared for (Wednesday’s) opening,” Gross said at a news conference.
Officials say the cause of the avalanche is under investigation. It happened as a powerful storm eventually dumped 14 inches of snow at the resort’s highest elevations by Thursday morning. Winds at the top of Palisades resort (8,000 feet) were gusting between 31 mph and 38 mph at the time of the avalanche. Palisades Tahoe had received 25 inches of snow in the past week before the Wednesday storm hit.
Prior to the death Wednesday, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, there had been no avalanche deaths in the U.S. this season. There were reportedly 30 deaths due to avalanches last season (2022-2023).
“The entire Palisades Tahoe team, including all of the first responders, extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those involved in the incident,” the ski resort said.
Placer County sheriff’s
