Deceased/Not Found CA - 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft, adult, didn't return from skiing trip, Kearsarge Pass, 23 Feb 2019

[GuyfromCanada]

MISSING PERSON!
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft has been reported missing to local law enforcement after missing his return date from a backcountry skiing trip on the Sierra High Route. Kraft’s itinerary began out of the Kearsarge Pass trailhead Feb. 23 and was scheduled to end March 4 or 5 near Bridgeport, California.

The Mono County Sheriff's Office began a search on March 4. The search expanded on March 5th and is now a joint operation with Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Other assisting agencies include California Highway Patrol, Cal OES, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Madera County Sheriff's Office, and the Marines Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Aerial support has been provided by Fresno County Sheriff, CHP - Inland Division Air Operations, CHP – Central Division Air Operations, and the Air National Guard.

Law enforcement agencies are also searching for the Marine’s rental vehicle, a gray 2016 Jeep Wrangler 2-door, assumed to be located at his trip’s start point in vicinity of Independence, California.

Individuals with any information regarding Kraft’s whereabouts should immediately contact Inyo County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 878-0383, option 4; Mono County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 932-7549, option 7; or Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-8400.

For additional queries, please contact the 1st Marine Division press officer Capt. Paul Gainey at (760) 725-9226 or email [email protected].

Mono County Sheriff's Office

Mono County Sheriff Seeks Help Finding Missing Marine

 

[Jim_M]

MISSING PERSON!
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft has been reported missing to local law enforcement after missing his return date from a backcountry skiing trip on the Sierra High Route. Kraft’s itinerary began out of the Kearsarge Pass trailhead Feb. 23 and was scheduled to end March 4 or 5 near Bridgeport, California.

The Mono County Sheriff's Office began a search on March 4. The search expanded on March 5th and is now a joint operation with Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Other assisting agencies include California Highway Patrol, Cal OES, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Madera County Sheriff's Office, and the Marines Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Aerial support has been provided by Fresno County Sheriff, CHP - Inland Division Air Operations, CHP – Central Division Air Operations, and the Air National Guard.

Law enforcement agencies are also searching for the Marine’s rental vehicle, a gray 2016 Jeep Wrangler 2-door, assumed to be located at his trip’s start point in vicinity of Independence, California.

Individuals with any information regarding Kraft’s whereabouts should immediately contact Inyo County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 878-0383, option 4; Mono County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 932-7549, option 7; or Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-8400.

For additional queries, please contact the 1st Marine Division press officer Capt. Paul Gainey at (760) 725-9226 or email [email protected].

Mono County Sheriff's Office

Mono County Sheriff Seeks Help Finding Missing Marine

Wondering if this was a solo trip? There is no mention of anyone else accompanying him here.

And wow, those are some serious organizational support groups!

 

[zecats]

And a serious distance. On xc skis? Wondering how he would manage with that distance and likely extreme elevation changes. Also, the weather has been reportedly snowy in the high Sierras.

Google Maps

 

[Jim_M]

Nothing new in any of the links

 

[Razz]

Where was he last seen? I'm suprised the truck has not been located and I wonder if he even made it to the mountains.

 

[GordianKnot]

His FB: https://www.facebook.com/mckraft823

 

[Herat]

I, too, find it strange that his rental vehicle hasn't been located.

There aren't really that many places along the access roads to the Kearsarge Pass trailhead area.

His trip was HUGELY AMBITIOUS for the distance, time of year, and weather conditions.

More than 250 miles of trail, almost all above 8,000 ft elevation with a base of at least 20 feet of snow as a base. He'd have to do more than 40 miles a day !!!! And you are not just going from hut to hut.

There is up to 50 feet of snow on the highest peaks and the last part of Feb has been notorious for very heavy wet snowstorms with brutal winds. Avalanches are very common in these conditions.

Even if experienced, I can't imagine how one thinks a solo trip under these conditions is...... surviveable.

 

[GordianKnot]

Marine Lieutenant Reported Missing After Ski Trip

Marine from Camp Pendleton and vehicle missing after ski trip; search underway

 

[GordianKnot]

I, too, find it strange that his rental vehicle hasn't been located.

There aren't really that many places along the access roads to the Kearsarge Pass trailhead area.

His trip was HUGELY AMBITIOUS for the distance, time of year, and weather conditions.

More than 250 miles of trail, almost all above 8,000 ft elevation with a base of at least 20 feet of snow as a base. He'd have to do more than 40 miles a day !!!! And you are not just going from hut to hut.

There is up to 50 feet of snow on the highest peaks and the last part of Feb has been notorious for very heavy wet snowstorms with brutal winds. Avalanches are very common in these conditions.

Even if experienced, I can't imagine how one thinks a solo trip under these conditions is...... surviveable.

Based on his FB posts, he looks to be both extremely fit and adventurous.

JMO.

 

[Dawookie]

And a serious distance. On xc skis? Wondering how he would manage with that distance and likely extreme elevation changes. Also, the weather has been reportedly snowy in the high Sierras.

Google Maps

Snowy is an understatement right now. The Sierras have gotten hammered this year. Not sure of the exact route he would have taken but the closer to Mammoth and Bridgeport the snowpack that high up is insane. At 9k feet, Mammoth has had over 400 inches of snow year to date and the top of Mammoth has seen over 600 inches. Reading into it a little bit, near Bridgeport there is avalanche warnings higher up. Kind of a rough time to be taking that trip

 

[Herat]

Based on his FB posts, he looks to be both extremely fit and adventurous.

JMO.

I couldn't open his FB posts. It said the page had been deleted.

Just saying the weather conditions at altitude in the Sierras have been very severe. Some storms have brought 4-5 feet of snow per day. Skis wouldn't be the safest option, you'd need snowshoes. And a companion to tell you to turn around when it was just too much.

And why not carry a SPOT or other satellite phone / tracker for those conditions?

 

[GordianKnot]

I couldn't open his FB posts. It said the page had been deleted.

Just saying the weather conditions at altitude in the Sierras have been very severe. Some storms have brought 4-5 feet of snow per day. Skis wouldn't be the safest option, you'd need snowshoes. And a companion to tell you to turn around when it was just too much.

And why not carry a SPOT or other satellite phone / tracker for those conditions?

There are several possible scenarios possible here that come to mind.
All of them are very concerning.

Best case would be his vehicle got stuck somewhere en route and he is sheltering in place.

JMO.

 

[Herat]

Even Kearsage to Bishop Pass would be hugely ambitious in Feb storms.

I would assume he would be following JMT as there would at least be some trail markers in trees to follow (when you were low enough to be in the treeline).

Going Bishop to Bridgeport requires getting up to the 10,000 ft elevation level.

 

[Herat]

There are several possible scenarios possible here that come to mind.
All of them are very concerning.

Best case would be his vehicle got stuck somewhere en route and he is sheltering in place.

JMO.

It's all open highway 395 along the eastern Sierras to tiny Independence. Then there is only one access road, unpaved Onion Valley Road and the terrain it is wide open for a large part. He might have been able to drive to Gray's Meadow Campground, but at 6100 ft he would have been driving on snow. LE SAR would easily be able to get up above Gray's Meadow with snowmobiles. I wonder if they have ANY tracks of his at all?

I wonder how he was going to get from the terminus of his trip "near Bridgeport" back to his vehicle up in the hills?

 

[Herat]

As I read the Missing Person's bulletin, it says he was taking the Sierra High Route

That's 195 miles from the Kearsage Pass area to the west end of Twin Lakes near Bridgeport. In summer, the route is usually given from King's Canyon side.

During these big Sierra storms in the time of his trip, Highway 395 has been intermittently closed between Mammoth and Bridgeport due to blowing snow with poor visibility and lack of traction for vehicles That would be up along the northern terminus of his trek. I didn't think the access road to the western end of Twin Lakes would be open during these times.

It says the search was started March 4. He wasn't even overdue at that point, so I have to think someone was monitoring him and wasn't getting expected contact during the trip.

Honestly, LE and SAR have a huge area of extremely remote and difficult area to search.

The key is finding his vehicle.

 

[zecats]

Snowy is an understatement right now. The Sierras have gotten hammered this year. Not sure of the exact route he would have taken but the closer to Mammoth and Bridgeport the snowpack that high up is insane. At 9k feet, Mammoth has had over 400 inches of snow year to date and the top of Mammoth has seen over 600 inches. Reading into it a little bit, near Bridgeport there is avalanche warnings higher up. Kind of a rough time to be taking that trip

For sure I understated it with the word snowy. I was aware of the immense totals of snow happening out there. I wasn’t exactly sure where he would have been trying to ski in relation to that. Thanks for the update.

 

[Herat]

Here's a photo of the mountain ridges he would be traversing near the end of his trip - just south of Twin Lakes. This is an extremely rugged area even in summer.

http://www.bobskiing.com/sawtooth.jpg

That photo was probably taken in June, btw. There is actually a small glacier up there

At that altitude, there would be up to 50 feet of snow and there were several really bad storms with up to 5 feet of very heavy wet snow.

No one would ever know if you were caught in an avalanche

 

[GordianKnot]

As I read the Missing Person's bulletin, it says he was taking the Sierra High Route

It says the search was started March 4. He wasn't even overdue at that point, so I have to think someone was monitoring him and wasn't getting expected contact during the trip.

Honestly, LE and SAR have a huge area of extremely remote and difficult area to search.

The key is finding his vehicle.

RSABBM:

The other possibility r/t the alert being sounded even before MK would have been overdue is that he may have left items behind that raised red flags.

Completely agree that locating the vehicle is key.

JMO.

 

[Herat]

Here's the elevation profile of JMT along most of his route.
https://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/JMTelevationprofile.jpg

He would have 10 mountain passes of over 10,000 ft elevations

 

[turanna25]

I wonder how he was going to get from the terminus of his trip "near Bridgeport" back to his vehicle up in the hills?

Thats a very good question