The company's homepage now displays a brief message: "Blackbird Mountain Guides is no longer operating. We are forever grateful for the kindness of our community." The shutdown was first reported by CBS Sacramento.

The avalanche struck on the morning of February 17 after the group left the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts during a blizzard, despite conditions that would have allowed them to remain safely at the huts. Three of the four Blackbird guides on the trip were killed, along with six of the eleven guests. The victims were identified as guides Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada; Michael Henry, 30, of Tampa Bay, Florida; and Nicole "Niki" Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe; and guests Carrie Atkin, 42, of South Lake Tahoe; Liz Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Marin County; Kate Morse, 45, of Marin County; Caroline Sekar, 45, of San Francisco; and Kate Vitt, 43, of Marin County.

The six female guests who died were part of the same friend group of experienced skiers who had taken similar trips together in previous years.

In August, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) cited and fined Blackbird $151,300 for multiple safety violations. The largest single penalty, $81,000, was for "failing to correct the imminent hazard posed by traveling in avalanche terrain when the avalanche danger was rated high." The company is appealing the citations, and that appeal remains pending.

Blackbird has not admitted responsibility for the guides' decisions that day. In a statement after the fines were issued, the company said the citations "do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built" and maintained it had operated "in full compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and consistent with the established safety frameworks of the broader professional mountain guiding industry." The company added that mountain guiding occurs in "dynamic wilderness environments where conditions change minute to minute" and welcomed the chance to work with Cal-OSHA to explain backcountry operating realities.

A separate April report from an avalanche safety organization, based on witness statements from three survivors, concluded that the guides had irresponsibly led the group through a known avalanche runout zone when other options were available. The surviving guide has not spoken publicly about the decision-making process.

Wrongful death lawsuits from the families of those killed are considered likely, though liability waivers signed by guests could complicate such claims. The state fines and the independent report could strengthen any legal challenges.

The closure leaves open questions about accountability for the families and the broader backcountry guiding industry, which operates with limited regulatory oversight in terrain where conditions can shift rapidly. For the Lake Tahoe community and the Marin County and San Francisco families who lost loved ones, the company's dissolution does not resolve the pending appeal or the prospect of civil litigation.