Recovery teams have found the bodies of nine backcountry skiers killed in a massive avalanche near Castle Peak in California's Sierra Nevada. The victims, who were caught in the Tuesday avalanche near Lake Tahoe, were located after a four-day search hampered by severe weather conditions and avalanche risks.

The recovery operation involved multiple agencies including the California National Guard, California Highway Patrol, and local search and rescue teams. Heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions forced crews to suspend operations several times, while avalanche mitigation efforts using water to destabilize snowpack created additional safety challenges for rescuers.

This tragedy marks one of the deadliest avalanche incidents in recent California history, highlighting the extreme dangers faced by backcountry skiers during volatile winter conditions. The search effort demonstrated the complexity of mountain rescue operations, requiring specialized equipment including helicopters and snowcats to recover victims from the remote, avalanche-prone terrain.