The victims of the devastating avalanche in Northern California include the spouse of a local search and rescue team member and a group of parents, mostly mothers, whose children reportedly attended a local ski academy.The nine people reported killed or missing were among a group of skiers who were wrapping up a two-night backcountry ski trip in the Castle Peak, Lake Tahoe area when the avalanche struck late Tuesday morning, local law enforcement officials said.The group consisted of four professional ski guides and 11 trip participants. Five of the participants and one guide survived the avalanche, said Blackbird Mountain Guides, whose employees were overseeing the trip.Snow covers an interstate near Soda Springs, California, on Wednesday. The interstate is located a few miles northwest of the Sugar Bowl ski resort.via Associated Press“This was an enormous tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced. In addition to mourning the loss of six clients, we also mourn the loss of three highly experienced members of our guide team,” Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement.Most of the ski trip’s participants were women and mothers of children on a ski team at the nearby Sugar Bowl ski resort, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing a person familiar with the tragedy.The parents had organized the trip as an annual excursion, according to the local news outlet.A source involved in the search and rescue effort also identified the victims as parents to ABC News.The skiers were reported missing after an avalanche swept through a backcountry slope in California's Sierra Nevada on Tuesday.Anadolu via Getty ImagesMill Valley Mayor Max Perrey also told media outlets that some of those on the ski trip were mothers who lived in his city, located just north of San Francisco.Lake Tahoe-area ski school Sugar Bowl Academy confirmed Wednesday that several of its members were among the avalanche victims, though it said it would not immediately name them out of respect for their families. One of the nine victims has not been found, though the person is presumed dead. “The best thing we can do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing,” said the school’s executive director, Stephen McMahon, in a statement.The tragedy also affected local emergency responders. One of those killed was married to a member of the Northern Tahoe search and rescue team, said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.All of the ski guides were certified in backcountry skiing and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, which sets “the industry standard for avalanche education,” according to Blackbird Mountain Guides.“There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened. It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway,” the outfitter said.Close