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Jilli
Trad climber
Livermore, California/ Dunedin NZ
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Aug 25, 2013 - 11:53pm PT
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LAhiker,
I did a search for yellow La Sportiva Nepal Extreme's on eBay
I think unrelated to Matt since in Canada and user gets good ratings, looks like normal joe shmo selling his boots. They are very popular boots. Good idea though, too bad it's too late to check craigslist. :-/
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Jilli
Trad climber
Livermore, California/ Dunedin NZ
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:30am PT
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MGuzzy,
Yep I think it's probably as simple as that.
Only Q I have is regarding what Ron/Tiffany wrote in the description of where the note was found:
"When searching Matt's house" - that left me thinking the note was written while Matt was back home before trip which would have been strange, BUT if found in the car your explanaton makes perfect sense. Cheers.
So... where was the note found? That's the answer needed to be sure about this.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:54am PT
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Riley, folks are on it. Thanks though
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Todd Quinn
Trad climber
Oceanside, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 01:56am PT
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Chapter 12, I keep going back to the book. Matt and I have similar climbing skills and I try to look at the information with his perspective. I singled out trails that either looks to easy or to hard for Matt. First part of chapter 12 describes sixteen trails. The second part of the chapter is summits and passes. Mount Ritter stand out because the pages refer to the trails leading to summit. Mount Ritter requires ice axes and crampons.
The missing link for me is where did Matt start his hike?? If it was Ritter where would Matt want to get dropped off? The book refers Devil Postpile as the starting point.
Personal I don't think Matt had enough time to summit and he had to turn around before it got to dark.
All this information is similar to a big math problem.
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kenish
Gym climber
Orange County, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 02:34am PT
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Todd- I'm not a climber but am familiar with the area. Agree w/ you...one of the last "pings" from Matt's cell phone was directly north of Mammoth Mtn, possibly the main lodge area. IIRC it was around 545am. Cars can continue west past the main lodge in the early morning and he's used to teaming up with others and/or hitching rides. All this suggests he got a ride down to Red's Meadow, the Postpile, etc. Before the phone records were retrieved, people felt he probably took YARTs.
Maybe this connects dots that shouldn't be, but the rather sparse facts strongly suggest it.
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LAhiker
Social climber
Los Angeles
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Aug 26, 2013 - 02:47am PT
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Kenish, I believe that it was later determined that the time given for that ping was in Eastern Time. When that is corrected for, it looks like Matt turned on his phone at 2:53am Pacific Daylight Time and received a text that had been sent the night before. (I think the text was from someone at a PA climbing gym.)
Apparently it was unusual for Matt to turn on his phone so early in the morning. People have said that he sometimes complained about early-morning campground noise. So it isn't known why he turned on the phone at that hour. (He had apparently been turning the phone off when it wasn't in use, presumably to preserve battery power.)
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Signal_Hill
Mountain climber
Signal Hill
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Aug 26, 2013 - 04:05am PT
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I do not have anything to add other than my best wishes. Everyone who has spent time in the Sierras has had a close call. I just want to wish his family and friends the best.
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Fig's Lady
Social climber
Bishop, CA and Tucson Arizona
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Aug 26, 2013 - 05:17am PT
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Watching CNN. Remaining hopeful and sending best wishes to his family and friends.
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tdg119
Social climber
Northampton, PA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 06:26am PT
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So... where was the note found? That's the answer needed to be sure about
In a notebook on the same shelf as several of his guidebooks. It was on a piece of paper that had been cut/torn out as if he was going to take it with him. Not from his car.
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crankster
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 09:29am PT
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Tiffany, Ron, et al - Can you determine from the gear at home whether Matt took a water filter and a headlamp with him? This would be standard gear for someone planning a long day out in the Sierra.
A personal first-aid kit, warm hat & a light pair of gloves would be in my pack, too.
I'm assuming he didn't solo the V-Notch Couloir - right, he did that with Jill's husband, John?
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SplitPants
Social climber
LA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 10:36am PT
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crankster
I have added your questions to the document I am maintaining.
I'm assuming he didn't solo the V-Notch Couloir - right, he did that with Jill's husband, John?
The following has been "confirmed"
Climbs in the area done prior to 7/13 [per Tom Davidcock and Matt's friends]
− Unicorn peak
− Mammoth Crest
− Clyde minaret on 7/11 (verified with registry signature)
− Dana Couloir
− North peak
− Palisades v notch
− Reigeluth minaret
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synesthesiac
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 11:08am PT
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Hi, all,
I've been following this thread for a while now and like many of you, I'm sure, feel a connection to Matt because of our shared love of the Sierra and alpine climbing. I've also done similar spur-of-the-moment solo outings of a similar nature, and had a few close calls along the way, so Matt's particular case really resonates with me.
When that is corrected for, it looks like Matt turned on his phone at 2:53am Pacific Daylight Time and received a text that had been sent the night before. (I think the text was from someone at a PA climbing gym.)
Given what I've read in this thread, I believe that Cragman (and others) have likely been looking in the correct general area (Ritter/Banner/Minarets), or at least that was where Matt intended to go. The reason I'm chiming in now is that in the discussion of his probable timeline and the cell tower records, I don't believe that I've heard anyone mention that he may have caught a ride down to the trailhead at Agnew Meadows on the evening of the 16th in preparation for a pre-dawn start. Is there any evidence that he spent that night at Shady Rest? Even for someone who is extremely fit, starting out from Shady Rest for such a big day just doesn't make any sense to me, and expecting to hitch a timely ride that early in the morning also doesn't sound right.
What makes more sense to me was that he was already at or near the trailhead when he turned his phone on, and getting up at 3 AM to start that hike actually sounds about right to me if he intended to climb the glacier before it got too soft. I noticed in one of the photos of his pack, it looks like the framesheet may be a reusable bivy pad. I have a alpine pack with a similar feature, and I've used it in the past for a quick bivy for just a few hours before an "alpine start." Maybe he did something similar.
Even if this is the case, I don't know that it changes anything in regards to where people should be looking, but I thought I'd mention it in case it sparks a fresh idea or helps to fit a couple of the puzzle pieces together.
Hoping for a miracle here. Matt sounds like a great guy!
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Aug 26, 2013 - 11:27am PT
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The Agnew Meadows route follows the Pacific Crest Trail north and then splits left up Shadow Creek past Shadow Lake to Lake Ediza. A common base camp for Ritter/Banner. This is also a good way to approach the northern Minarets.
However, there is a saddle between the Lake Ediza and Minaret Lake drainages which is directly below the east ridge of the Clyde Minaret. That is better approached from Devil's Postpile via Minarets Creek trail and past Minaret Lake up some short 2nd/3rd class cliffs to the saddle. Cecile Lake is a beautiful small lake right on the saddle, with spectacular views of Clyde and the southern Minarets. It's frequently used as a high camp or bivouac site. Cecile is surrounded by krumholz, short alpine firs spreading low to the ground which offer shelter for open bivvy's.
There is no official trail from Minaret Lake to Cecile and then back down to Iceberg. There is a trail from Iceberg on to Ediza. The climber's track is easy to follow in good weather and has no real difficulties. Minaret and Iceberg lakes are the same elevation, about 9900 ft. Cecile is 10,300.
For Matt to walk either distance from the town of Mammoth would be unlikely. I think that's something like a 40 mile round trip.
From Devil's Postpile, the southern Minarets are a long day, but within Matt's range.
From Agnews Meadows trailhead, Ritter and Banner are also within Matt's range (not my range for sure)
Since he had already climbed in the Minarets, he likely knew about both routes. He could have taken either route depending on his objective. It's even possible he intended to do the complete circuit with some snow/ice climbing in the middle.
You can traverse all the way from Cecile Lake to the SE (glacier) side of Ritter at about 11000 ft. This traverse avoids dropping 400 hundred feet down to Iceberg lake to climb back up to Ritter/Banner. The route goes directly beneath the prominent glacier on the NE aspect of Clyde and Eichorn and above steep cliffs. It is a wild and beautiful route. Really up there. Very seldom done. (I haven't spoken with any other climbers who've done it)
There is much loose rock on this traverse. It's also split in two places by deep chasms which can only be crossed by climbing up onto the glacier. These are easily seen in Tom Cochrane's and Cragmans' photos on the other threads.
Upper left of this photo
Doug Nidever, the Chief Knucklehead, at Ediza Lake http://www.supertopo.com/tr/A-search-for-Matthew-Greene/t12089n.html#comments
And the edited photo by climb2ski on page 2 of Tom C's thread
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2205815&tn=20
Has anyone checked back to know what the weather was for the 4 or 5 days after the 17th?
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crankster
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 11:42am PT
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What makes more sense to me was that he was already at or near the trailhead when he turned his phone on, and getting up at 3 AM to start that hike actually sounds about right to me if he intended to climb the glacier before it got too soft.
I've been musing about this up thread. The missing link to this scenario is any evidence he had any bivy gear with him, at least a sleeping bag liner or simiar. The High Sierra evenings were fairly mild on July 16th - I'm guessing lows in the mid-high 40's. However, I'm pretty sure anyone catching a ride to the Agnew Meadow trailhead the night before would at least have a light sleeping bag with him, probably a light pad, too.
Another mystery is that he was apparently in his tent texting on the 16th, around 6 pm as I recall, and he mentioned he was going to bed at 9 pm. Seems like he would have mentioned something about leaving pre-dawn to whomever he was in contact with.
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jeg
Social climber
center valley,Pa
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Aug 26, 2013 - 11:58am PT
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He did not take his bivy sac.
He didn't filter the water, just drank it.
Checking on headlight...
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kenish
Gym climber
Orange County, CA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:09pm PT
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Has anyone checked back to know what the weather was for the 4 or 5 days after the 17th?
July 17-31st, approximate highs were 80-95 and lows were 40-55. There was trace precipitation 3 of the days. But that was in town; in the summer one spot can be dry while an area a few miles away gets soaked. The moon was quarter around the 17th and full on the 22nd.
Apparently it was unusual for Matt to turn on his phone so early in the morning. People have said that he sometimes complained about early-morning campground noise. So it isn't known why he turned on the phone at that hour.
Thanks for clarifying the actual time. I recall the ping was north of Mammoth Mountain. If that's correct, the phone was most likely in the Main Lodge area or Inyo Crater. The campground and the town are *east* of the peak and the cell records show pings from other cell site(s) in town.
There probably isn't cell coverage at Agnew, Reds, or Postpile. Someone can clarify this. In the Rainbow Falls area farther south there is line-of-sight to Mammoth Mountain. All these areas and the Minarets are to the west or SW of the peak, not north.
If the ping was at 253am and to the north, the phone was not turned on at the campground or west of the crest. Some possibilities:
 Matt went up to Main Lodge in the evening for an early start. There's lodging there...maybe he crashed out on a sofa in the room of a person he met and got a ride to the trailhead. Cars are allowed to drive down there in the early morning before shuttle service begins. Or, he camped on the grounds of the Main Lodge complex...not sure how tolerant security would be.
Went to Inyo Crater on an evening or night hike. Got injured and tried to get a call out. I don't think the Inyo Crater area is heavily traveled.
Foul play or theft. The person who had the phone turned it on briefly.
If Matt spent the night at Main Lodge, he may have brought items from the campground that he wouldn't take climbing (e.g. toiletries), planning to retrieve them when he returned. Has anyone checked with Mammoth Mountain lost and found to see if they have items that could be his? It's a long shot since the room wouldn't be in his name, nobody knows what the items are, they would be discarded if they had little value or went unclaimed, and the turn-in date could be any time after the 17th. FYI, many people check out on Sunday mornings to head home to LA or SF.
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SplitPants
Social climber
LA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:12pm PT
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Great point about the weather. I checked from 7/16-7/21 and nothing unusual except some rain on 7/21. http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KMMH/2013/7/21/DailyHistory.html
If anyone knows of a better research method let me know.
I think the question as to if any MM employees gave a ride to Matt is a good question to ask. I updated the timeline asking that question.
Tx
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Alpineholydog
Trad climber
Spring Tx
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:13pm PT
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The missing link for me is where did Matt start his hike?? If it was Ritter where would Matt want to get dropped off? The book refers Devil Postpile as the starting point.
Personal I don't think Matt had enough time to summit and he had to turn around before it got to dark.
I agree. If it was me I would want to cap off an epic trip by doing one last hike after resting the previous day. I feel that given what he took he headed out toward Ritter and the Minerets. Logiclly if he went for Ritter he started at Agnew Meadows. He would have gone to Red's Meadow for The Minerets or Iron Mountain.
How did he get there?
Either walked, Caught a ride, or took public transportation which does not go up mountain till 7 ish. Anyone checked with Mammoth Taxi? They go up to trailheads early.
Have his friends expressed how he went about his hiking after they left. He climbed Clyde Mineret. How did he get there?
Inyo Craters seem so anticlimactic as a capper to a great trip. I think either foul play or a true illogical wildcard if those are his glasses.
I think Cragman is looking in a great spot. Has Iron Mountain been checked? Ritter and Banner Saddle make sense out of Agnew given his conditioning but River trail/Shadow lake area is highly trafficked. Sounds like the Ritter Banner notch has been searched well and I was in area last year. Even with a fall there are only a few places to search as its a small snowfield.
Again I think a victory lap near the Minerets for him would also be very likely. How would he get there though?
I will be up in Garnet/Nydiver area next week and glass/ search the notch again.
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tdg119
Social climber
Northampton, PA
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Aug 26, 2013 - 12:25pm PT
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+1 to alpine. Matt would be looking for an epic cap to his trip after sitting still for a day. Agree, if the glasses, big if, are his, it ups the foul play scenario. Cragman is in the right area based on the facts we know. - Ron
Question: would a person with no hiking experience, in average shape, be of any help out there or not? I feel like I should be out there. - Ron
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