9 dead after avalanche in the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. So sad but also so avoidable…

Castle Peak Wilderness Area

Some sad sad news and avoidable too. I knew 2 of the guides who were killed. I can’t understand how they could have ended up in this situation.
I can’t imagine how painful it would be for a search and rescue team member to have to respond to a situation involving their spouse and discover that they are dead. And then have to deal with the loss as well as remain professional for the rescue/recovery operation. That must be immensely difficult for them and their family.
I have played numerous times in this same area and I’ve stayed in the same huts 🛖. But I would never have put myself there with these conditions!! I love to ride powder It shaped my lifestyle and my career for decades. I know that it’s addictive and it can have a powerful effect on people almost like “gold fever” where people make irrational decisions and choices based upon getting as much of it as possible. I really hope that I’m wrong about the fact that the clients who payed for this guided backcountry tour experience were not able to “force” the decisions of their guides. I know that it happens and I know guides who will do almost anything to make their clients happy because they just genuinely want to share an enriching life experience. I also know that some people who guide will do almost anything for a bigger tip and “happy campers” who go back to their rich friends and tell stories about how amazing their guided trip was.
Nothing has been said about anything like this happening and I don’t intend to speak ill of the guides who are now dead. I just can’t believe that this could happen with professional mountain guides. I can see this happening to a random group of people who had a bad idea and broke all the backcountry rules and the situation turned fatal.
I can’t easily see how this could happen with people who are trained and who also train others on the ways to move in the backcountry.

Fresh snow and a significant amount of it plus a weaker layer especially (as it had not snowed in a while) are the exact ingredients for a recipe of avalanches. I know they have to look at the forecast before they go out. I think the Marin County 💰money💸 the clients could have influenced the judgment of those guides… 😔

PS sorry for such a rough random and nearly incomprehensible post I just can’t focus atm 😻