Terance “Terry” Olaf Skjersaa, Susan Renee Skjersaa Obituary, Death – A Bend couple, Terance “Terry” Olaf Skjersaa, 57, and Susan Renee Skjersaa, 52, were identified as the victims of a deadly avalanche near Broken Top on Monday, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The Skjersaa family has been part of the Central Oregon skiing community for over 85 years.
Search and Recovery Efforts
Authorities said the couple was reported overdue on Monday, prompting friends to begin a search. Using a phone-tracking app, they located the last known position of the couple’s phone and discovered an avalanche debris field in the Happy Valley area near Snowmobile Trail 8 and Trail 88. Around midnight, they spotted a limb protruding from the snow but withdrew due to concerns about a secondary avalanche.
The sheriff’s office search and rescue team was deployed to the site, with two members arriving first and additional personnel joining the effort on Tuesday morning. By midday Tuesday, the bodies of Terry and Renee were recovered with the assistance of the Central Oregon Avalanche Center and the U.S. Forest Service. Their remains were transported back to Bend.
The Skjersaa Legacy
Terry was a principal broker at the Skjersaa Group in Bend. His family’s connection to skiing in Central Oregon dates back to 1939 when his grandparents opened Bend’s first ski shop. Skiing was a shared passion for both Terry and Renee.
Avalanche Details and Conditions
The Central Oregon Avalanche Center reported that the couple was buried in a D2-level avalanche at 6,700 feet on a south-facing slope. The D-scale rates avalanches based on destructiveness:
- D1: Minimal danger to people
- D2: Capable of causing injury or death
- D3: Can destroy a car or house
- D4: Strong enough to destroy large buildings or forests
- D5: Powerful enough to destroy entire villages or reshape landscapes
As of this week, the avalanche danger in the Central Cascades remains at a “considerable” level, rated three on a scale of five.
Community Reaction
The local outdoor community has been shaken by the tragedy. Longtime winter sports enthusiast Jason Arbetter described the news as “total heartbreak.” Having spent nearly two decades exploring snowy regions, he acknowledged that avalanche fatalities, though always devastating, seem to be occurring more frequently.
“It’s just terrible because someone was out there having the time of their lives, and now their family has to deal with the loss,” Arbetter said.
Even visitors from outside the area, like Gabe Rivera from Los Angeles, recognized the risks. “It’s not surprising, given today’s conditions,” Rivera explained. “If you venture into steep, high-risk areas, an avalanche can happen.”
Past Avalanche Fatalities in Central Oregon
This incident marks another fatality in a region that has seen previous avalanche-related deaths. In 2023, two people died in separate avalanches—one at Paulina Peak and another at Black Crater near Sisters.
Authorities continue to stress the importance of checking avalanche forecasts and being cautious when navigating the backcountry.
