SODA SPRINGS, Calif. — The Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend is known for being one of the busiest ski weekends for resorts in the Sierra. The extended weekend is happening at a time when backcountry avalanche watches are in effect and mere days after a man was killed by an avalanche at a ski resort.
With that said, families who traditionally use this weekend as a ski getaway say they're trusting the resorts to keep them safe.
Skiers were already hitting the slopes Friday going into the busy weekend at Boreal Ski Resort in Soda Springs.
"Getting together. Family time," said Emily Fitzwater, who was skiing with her family Friday.
"I've been doing it for three years now. I don't know, it's just freeing. You're just on your own and everyone's really nice and helpful. It's just a great community to be in," said Charmaine Macadangdang, who was out with her partner skiing.
That community was hit hard Wednesday when an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe left a 66-year-old man dead.
Skiers say the tragedy has made them more alert.
"Just be hyper-aware. I mean, now's the safest time to come cause it's more on everybody's minds and everybody is more vigilant right now. So, it's a good time to come out. It's beautiful," said Fitzwater.
Boreal Mountain Ski Resort also says safety is its top concern for visitors and employees.
"We make sure that we get up on that hill early in the morning. We've got some really great patrol teams here at Boreal that are able to go on the hill first time in the morning, test all the terrain, make sure it's safe before we open it," said Tucker Norred, Marketing Manager at Boreal Ski Resort.
He says some days skiers may even notice some lifts will not open until later in the day.
"We just lean on Ski California. They're a great partner with us at Boreal as well as all the other resorts around Tahoe. They have this mountain safety guide. So if you go to skicalifornia.org, they have a mountain safety guide and that walks you through everything safely. For skiing and snowboarding," said Norred.
As the ski resort stays alert, they're looking ahead to a packed weekend.
Skiers too say they are keeping prepared in case anything happens.
"We got our phone with us, we've got the ping. We've got the live 360 so we can track each other's location and stuff," said Fitzwater.
The ski resort says it expects some snow over the weekend and are asking travelers planning to drive this weekend to check the Caltrans website for any weather conditions. Officials are also asking drivers to be patient because it may take a little bit longer to get to their destination.
