Major avalanche at Palisades Tahoe (aka Squaw Valley) on KT22 Lift Update 1 dead so far

San Francisco Chronicle: "Major Avalanche Closes Palisades Tahoe: 'This is a really big deal'"

The avalanche occurred in the gully area of KT-22, the resort said. It was the first day that the famed chairlift opened for the season after a slow start to winter. Skiers and snowboarders had queued up at the chairlift early in the morning. A representative with the resort had said Tuesday in an Instagram post that KT “might not be groomed, so be sure to ski and ride at your own risk.”

KT-22 sends skiers to the top of a peak whose 2,000 vertical feet of slopes draw professional skiers from around the world. With its wide-open bowls, steep chutes and cliffs, it has been called the “greatest expert lift in North America” by Powder magazine.

“Apparently, the first group started skiing down the bowl and literally the entire top of the bowl broke loose and slid down the hill,” Sponsler said. “One person who literally saw it happen told me they saw at least five people disappear under the snow, and only one came up. They saw skis and poles sticking up out of the snow.”

“This isn’t a little slide, this is a really big deal,” Sponsler said.

He saw “wave after wave” of searchers hauling up the slopes to help probe the slide area for victims.

Fresno NewsOne person is dead and another injured in the aftermath.