4th Matthew Greene Search 9/4-9/8/19

[Harlen]

Oleander wrote:

...OTOH, I started to wonder what I’d think if I was dead and looking down from the sky upon a group of 13 people deliberately wandering the least-pleasant talus for a fourth summer, to find my bones. I wondered if I might like to shake those people and say: STOP. You have made your attempt. Now let go. Go wander some pretty valleys. Go on a real backpacking or climbing trip. Go have fun. I’d rather watch you have fun.

That's a very interesting point Lisa. I never considered our work from Matthew's perspective, whom I view as sadly dead and gone. OTOH, aren't we performing this effort for MG's family?

[maiathebee]

I don't have time to research where the search has covered already but I saw on Facebook that someone found an ice axe in a snowfield near Lake Catherine... https://www.facebook.com/groups/7204520 ... 541432950/

[maverick]

Unfortunately it was not Matthew's.

[narkj]

Hey all, it's Jason, the (so-called) journalist. I have been writing and rewriting this story for years now and I believe this trip helped me find an ending. That's difficult, because the searching for a missing person or their remains often has no real ending, nothing to bury.

I have a botany question that perhaps Bill could answer. On the Thursday up there, I went on a short hike with Maverick, Dave and Clark to Volanic Ridge (I had to turn back because of my tent). We were bushwhacking through some chest high vegetation, some kind of shrub I assume, in a valley up there near the tungsten mine. It reminded me of mountain laurel back east, but more dense. Anyone know what it could have been?

Lisa, I've often pondered the same questions, about why people search, what exactly closure means and I still don't really know.

[sekihiker]

I have a botany question that perhaps Bill could answer. On the Thursday up there, I went on a short hike with Maverick, Dave and Clark to Volanic Ridge (I had to turn back because of my tent). We were bushwhacking through some chest high vegetation, some kind of shrub I assume, in a valley up there near the tungsten mine. It reminded me of mountain laurel back east, but more dense. Anyone know what it could have been?

Hi Jason -
Hopefully someone has photos of the shrubs you saw. If so, I'd be happy to give a try at an ID. Do you remember who you were with?
Bill

[Harlen]

Jason wrote:

It reminded me of mountain laurel back east, but more dense. Anyone know what it could have been?

We have a couple of dense, but low-growing flowers in the Heath family- Ericaceae- related to your eastern Kalmia. One is often called "Bog laurel," and the Latin for it is either Kalmia polifolia, K. microphylla, or K. polifolia ssp. microphylla, depending on your favorite botanist. You can check these out in "Calflora" Jason.

Another very similar species is the "Red mountain heather," Phyllodoce brewerii, which is found in similar habitats; I believe both could have been present where you guys were hiking, though the latter species is the more common.

Good luck, Ian.

https://images.app.goo.gl/dETPPMGqwn1fDjaZ8

*Couldn't manage to upload a Kalmia image..... Bill?

[sekihiker]

Here's a link to Kalmia - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/29720924
I just looked through all my photos of the area and only thing I can see that would be "chest high vegetation" would be willows.

[oleander]

Yeah, some of the areas around the tungsten mine is choked with willows.

[narkj]

From Clark's photos. This particular photo appears to be the stuff I'm thinking of.

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21A ... 59&o=OneUp

[c9h13no3]

I'm no botanist, but they look like willows to me. Get those, some aspens, and then carry some skis on your back and see how fast you go...