Crews hope to resume recovery of 8 bodies from California avalanche after days of dangerous weather

Crews hope to resume efforts to recover the bodies of eight people killed in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada and search for a person missing but presumed dead on Friday

SODA SPRINGS, Calif. -- Crews hope to resume efforts Friday to recover the bodies of eight people killed and one still missing in an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada after days of dangerous weather that has hampered safe access to the area.

Six of the people who died were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the alpine wilderness, their families said Thursday. The three others who are dead or presumed dead were guides.

“We are devastated beyond words,” the families said in a statement released through a spokesperson. The women were mothers, wives and friends who “connected through the love of the outdoors,” they said, and were carrying avalanche safety equipment and prepared for backcountry travel.

The six were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, and they lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Idaho and in the Lake Tahoe area. The families asked for privacy while they grieve.

The names of the other victims have not been released.