‘Avalanche!’: Survivors recount tragedy in Sierra

By Dave Philipps, Bora Erden, Marco Hernandez and Amy Graff

TRUCKEE, Calif. — The blizzard blew so fierce that the skier at the head of the line kept disappearing into a whiteout. The winds were gusting over 50 mph. Almost 4 feet of fresh powder had piled up and more was falling every minute.

At the back of the line was Anton Auzans, trudging behind 12 other backcountry skiers climbing through a clearing high in California’s Sierra Nevada. He had his hood pulled low against the pelting wind.