Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Use this forum to stay informed on missing persons alerts, active SAR's and unfortunate hiker accidents we can all hopefully learn from. Any information you may have on a missing person, including first hand weather related information or any other insight (however little) may prove to be critical information to Law Enforcement / SAR in locating the person in question.
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maverick
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by maverick »

Sorry to read Tom that SAR was unsuccessful in finding Matt or any further evidence which
would point to his whereabouts.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by tdavidock »

Please take a moment and take a look at the Flickr Page that was created for Matt. There are photos on there and a few videos of Matt. Please share with anyone that may have been in the area in the past couple of weeks. If more people see his face, maybe somebody will remember something.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/findmattgreene/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks-

Tom
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by DoyleWDonehoo »

I am not sure I am understanding this. So, they have all of his overnight gear accounted for. Where was it? In the car? In the backcountry? At a trailhead? Which trailhead? That info would help us who are most familiar with the area to come up with some suggestions.
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by maverick »

Doyle wrote:

I am not sure I am understanding this. So, they have all of his overnight gear
accounted for. Where was it? In the car? In the backcountry? At a trailhead?
Which trailhead? That info would help us who are most familiar with the area
to come up with some suggestions.

Hi Doyle,

Did you have a chance to read the Sierrawave link in which it says he was staying at
the Shady Rest Campground while his car was being fixed. Pages of his guide book
had the Banner/Ritter missing so they are assumed that he went to climb these
peaks, possibly as a day hike.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by ManOfTooManySports »

For what it's worth, ~10 days ago we did TM over Donahue to Island, then xc to Lake Catherine then xc to the San Joaquin and Bench Canyon. We didn't see your friend or evidence of him. Really, a total lack of footprints after Lake Catherine. The only odd thing was a tent about 2/3 up North Glacier Pass, but I think you said he had no overnight gear.
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by tdavidock »

Hi everyone-

Again, thanks for all of the help, ideas, leads, etc. As all of you can probably guess, this is extremely hard for those of us that know Matt. It's almost impossible to describe every last detail that we know, but I will try to provide the latest update and thinking by those involved in the search efforts.

Matt went missing on July 17th. His last contact with someone was on the evening of the 16th.

Matt's car broke down and he was in Mammoth Lakes staying at the Shady Rest Campground. His car was being fixed in town and was scheduled to be finished on the 18th. Matt was in town, from what we know, on the 16th. He was on a computer (we suspect the library) as indicated by a summit post forum post about water intoxication around 2:45 on the 16th. He talked with his father that day and texted a friend that night (around 9:00PM). He gave no indication to anyone that we know of that day what his plans were. His last cell phone ping came from Mammoth Mt., which would have been the tower from Mammoth Lakes

We suspect that on the 17th, Matt decided to do a day climb/hike as he took no overnight gear with him. He had a large pack and gear for snow, which indicates that he was thinking that snow was a possibility (crampons, Mountaineering axe, and boots). He had no bivy gear and it clearly seems like he had every intention of coming back that same day.

Matt was happy and loved life. He was a quiet guy, but happy to have a conversation with anyone that wanted to talk. He met a lot of people on his trips, so it's likely that he talked to someone that we weren't in contact with yet. As for questions about depression, while valid ones to ask, they do not make sense in this case or for Matt.

Matt had no transportation, so would have used his own two feet, hitched a ride, or more likely taken the shuttle. He was used to riding the shuttle as he did another hike on the 11th to do Clyde Minerat. I understand that he may have done another one in the Minerats as well. He talked about this with a fellow climber on what we believe was the 11th, but gave no indication of definitive plans and the info he was given covers a fairly large area. This person was also participating with SAR.
Matt had pages torn out of his guide book for the entire Minerat area, which covers approximately a 5 mile by 20 mile area, which included both Ritter and Banner (hence the search of the summit registers). Neither register was signed by Matt as reported by search teams. Other speculated that he may have attempted Lyell, but that would have required an early start that the shuttle service wouldn't provide. There are a lot of options in the Minerats, which would have been likely choices for Matt.

SEARCH

SAR was out on both Ritter and Banner last weekend as well as had a chopper that covered some of the snow fields for about 30 minutes. Without more information, they couldn't proceed with further efforts. Additionally, to make things harder, the area that is suggested as a possibility is in another county jurisdiction, which makes organizing the search more challenging for allocating resources.

Right now, SAR has put together some flyers asking for anyone and everyone hiking and climbing in those areas to CHECK the registries. Please do so if you're out there and help spread the word. This will be posted at all major climber hangouts in the region, but please help to spread this via word of mouth. The focus areas is in the Minerats right now since the limited info suggests that more so than any other location. However, there is always the possibility of the wildcard and he jumped the YART and headed into the park.

All permit offices were checked and those with permits from the time frame before and after he was missing are being contacted. Matt was known to get an early start, so it's very possible that he could have been the 1st one on the trail.

Right now, the missing piece to the puzzle is information. We need something, however small, to help hone in on his location or possible plans. If there is anything that you wish you could do, it's spread the word. Some resources are available for this including:

1. Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/findmattgreene" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
2. Flickr Page with lots of photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/findmattgreene/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
3. Flyer: http://socalcrisis.org/findmattgreene" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
4. Mono County Sheriff: http://www.monosheriff.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
5. And tons of news stories (google Matthew Greene, Missing)

I will try to provide any additional info that I get or clarify something that is missing. It is challenging to get everything out, but I and his other friends and family will do our best. Please continue to share. Miss you, Matt.

Tom
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by The Other Tom »

Just a thought, but perhaps you could obtain the missing pages from his guidebook (using a new copy). Maybe there are day hike recommendations in those missing pages that might give a clue to where he might have gone.
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by maverick »

Help locate a missing Sierra climber

Postby Mono County SAR » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:14 pm
Peak Baggers in the Central Sierra Nevada:
Please help locate a missing climber

Climber Matt Greene has been overdue since 17 July 2013, and you can assist in the search effort.

If you summit any peak located in the general area between Tom's Place and Lee Vining, please carefully examine the summit register for Matt Greene's name on the dates of 15-19 July 2013. Remember that summit registers can be disorganized, and several log books may be present. Note that we want to hear from you whether or not you see his name; the absence of his name on a given peak is useful also.

Please report your results to Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team at MosarOps@gmail.com. If you don't have email access, then please leave a phone message at: 760-566-6727.

Please print this page and take it with you as a reference for the dates and email address.

Note:
Although we are posting this request, SAR volunteers are not permitted to discuss ongoing missions in any public fashion. We are instead required to direct inquiries to the Mono County Sheriffs Office, as we work under their direction:
760-932-7549 x7 (ask for the SAR coordinator or secondarily the Watch Commander)
sar@monosheriff.org

Thank you for your assistance-.

Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by oaktown »

I've been reading these posts the last couple days, and I have a few random ideas-- they might seem like less important details, but you never know:
1. I know someone said that the library deletes search history every night, but I think it'd be worth giving someone that knows computers well a little rein to dig it up; its usually possible, and it seems so likely that he might have looked at where he was going the next day.
2. Did the PD actually check the pockets of the pants he might have been wearing the night before? I'm assuming they did, but just in case, his pockets could be holding notes that he wrote down in the library, or receipts of things bought with cash the day before, and ideally, itemized receipts from the grocery store that could be helpful.
3. Regarding receipts, I know I read on one of the forums that his credit card history was looked at: does this include his debit card history too, in particular, cash withdrawals, or cash back? If the shuttle isn't free and you have to pay in cash, it could help.
4. Are there any other books/pages that he may have taken related to plants, or birds, etc? Or binoculars? Just another thing that might help determine location.
5. Do you know how many water bottles/vessels he took in relation to how many he has, and/or did he take his water filter? Could tell you how far he was planning on going, and if he was going somewhere that he planned to be able to refill (filter) water.
6. Does he take any meds? Has someone checked to see how many pills are gone in relation to date picked up from pharmacy? Especially if he takes something more than once a day, it could tell you if he thought he was going to be gone all day, or just part day.
7. I'm assuming the PD talked to the other people that were camping at Shady Rest the night before the day he went missing--seems likely that the night before he might have hung out with the person camping next to him and talked about what he was going to climb the next day.
8. Does he have any other health issues? Sometimes the smallest aspects of behavior related to a health issue can provide clues, e.g., I have Crohn's Disease, and my whereabouts if I went on a day-hike could be pretty narrowed down distance and environ-wise by how much biodegradable TP and medicine I brought with me. If he has any kind of health issue, people with that same health issue might notice things about what he brought or didn't bring with him that others wouldn't.

I know these things seem small and/or immaterial compared to what gear he brought with him, but they really could provide clues.
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Re: Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes /Tuolumne area

Post by maverick »

Hi Oaktown,

Welcome to HST! Thanks for adding on your helpful ideas! :thumbsup:
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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