Avalanche victims identified as Terry and Susan Renee Skjersaa, whose family has lasting legacy in C.O. skiing
(Update: Victims identified; background on couple, Skjersaa family's history)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Authorities on Wednesday identified the two victims of a deadly avalanche as a well-known Bend couple, Terry and Susan Skjersaa, whose family is well-known for their long-time role in skiing in Central Oregon.
Terance (Terry) Olaf Skjersaa, 57, and wife Susan Renee Skjersaa, 52, were buried in a large avalanche on Monday while backcountry skiing near a snowmobile trail between the city of Bend’s watershed and Broken Top Mountain, an area known as Happy Valley, Deschutes County sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Wall said.
The couple failed to return from a trip Monday evening and friends began searching for them. Shortly before midnight, friends found them buried in an avalanche, both deceased, Wall said. The avalanche was suspected to have occurred several hours before the couple were found.
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue sent two members to the scene overnight and they were joined by additional members and a deputy Tuesday morning to conduct the investigation and recovery of both victims.
The Skjersaa family’s long history in Bend includes opening the city’s first ski shop and founding the Skyliners ski club, which hosted competitions that attracted athletes from around the region.
Olaf Skjersaa, a Norwegian immigrant, opened the first ski shop in Bend in 1938 at his home on 10th Street.
The Skjersaa (pronounced sheer-shaw) family has been involved in all aspects of skiing across the Northwest, from ski jumping and cross-country to telemark and Alpine events. They have been top competitors, instructors and coaches.
"Few families have stronger roots in Bend than Terry Skjersaa," according to an online biography posted for his role as a principal broker for Duke Warner Realty and the Skjersaa Group.
"His grandparents, Olaf and Grace, opened Bend’s first ski shop in 1939. With more than 20 years of experience in the ski and outdoor industry, Terry knows the area from the top of Mount Bachelor to the canyons of the Deschutes River, and all points in between."
The biography stated, "Terry enjoys spending time with his daughters Ellie and Jade, and his wife Renee. Some of his favorite leisure activities include skiing, cycling, camping and enjoying all that Central Oregon has to offer."
Renee Skjersaa taught at three Bend-La Pine Schools and most recently worked with high school students, connecting them to internships and career opportunities. She also was known as a strong athlete who competed in cycling and coached middle school track and cross-country.
The couple's involvement in the community went beyond skiing, teaching and real estate.
In 2021, KTVZ News reported that Terry Skjersaa had been named secretary and treasurer of the inaugural board of directors for the local nonprofit Furnish Hope, which works with community partners to collect, redistribute and deliver donated home furnishings and household essentials.
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Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp told KTVZ News late Tuesday the search began after friends reported that two were overdue from recreating earlier Monday.
"Their plan was to snowmobile into an area they could ski," he said.
The Central Oregon Avalanche Center said late Tuesday that "two backcountry skiers were buried in a D2 avalanche. The avalanche occurred at 6,700 feet, on a south-facing slope."
After they failed to return home, family and friends used cellphone pings to go to the area where they found one of the two victims buried in an avalanche debris field and again called 911.
A DCSO Search and Rescue Team headed to the area around midnight and around 2 a.m. Tuesday found the two deceased people in the debris field. "Out of caution," they waited until sunrise for recovery efforts, to be sure it was safe and that they would not trigger another avalanche, van der Kamp said.
The sheriff said they were being brought out of the location to a waiting funeral home. The sheriff's office hopes to complete notifications Tuesday night and release their names Wednesday morning.
The website avalanche.org says a D2 avalanche is considered "large" on the destructive potential scale, meaning it has the capacity to injury or bury people. D1 avalanches are usually harmless, while bigger D3 avalanches are capable of destroying a car or large structure.
A D2 avalanche "is considered a significant avalanche hazard, requiring caution and potentially altering travel plans," the website states.
In a preliminary report on its website, the avalanche center said it was a "D2, Storm Slab avalanche. The avalanche occurred at 6,700 ft. on a South slope. The avalanche’s crown height averaged 45 cm. and the avalanche ran 320 vertical feet into a tight clump of trees. The weak layer was a 4-finger hard layer of preserved precipitation particles and decomposing fragments. The trigger is unknown, but it is likely that the riders triggered the avalanche themselves."
In a Facebook post, the C.O. Avalanche Center said, "We extend our deepest condolences to all who loved the couple who tragically lost their lives while doing what they loved. As longtime residents of Central Oregon, they have touched many lives, and their legacy will continue to live on in our community."
Here's the DCSO news release update:
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Unit has successfully recovered two deceased subjects from the area of Trail 8. The initial investigation indicates the two subjects were caught in an avalanche while recreating in the area.
"I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of the couple who lost their lives in the avalanche while enjoying the Central Oregon backcountry. Their long history in our community and the lives they touched are a testament to the spirit and resilience that make Central Oregon such a special place to live. On behalf of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and our entire community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to their family and loved ones during this difficult time." Sheriff Kent van der Kamp
Further information may be released at a later date. Names of the subjects are being withheld at this time.
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Earlier info:
Sergeant Jason Wall told KTVZ News deputies and Search and Rescue crews responded to an incident reported in the area of Snowmobile Trail 8 between the junction with Trail 88 and Trail 6 (Forest Service Road 370).
"This area is between the Bend Watershed and Broken Top area and commonly known as Happy Valley," Wall said.
"At this time, we are asking the public to avoid the area and to watch out for additional Search and Rescue and law enforcement resources responding to and working on scene," the sergeant said, adding that "we cannot release any further information at this time."
"The public should be aware avalanche danger in the Central Cascades area is moderate to considerable," Wall said, adding. "Please use extreme caution when recreating in the area and check coavalanche.org for more information including forecasts and observations."
The center's 24-hour forecast issued Monday evening by Gabriel Coler said, "On Tuesday, avalanches remain likely on slopes where the wind has blown the latest storm snow. This is most often on North, East, and South slopes near treeline and at alpine elevations. These avalanches could be large enough to bury or injure a rider. On sheltered slopes below treeline the majority of avalanches will be very small, although I can't rule out the possibility of a large avalanche on the steepest, most unsupported slopes."
