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

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Herat said:
This is a virtual tour of the route, although it starts from the Kings Canyon NP side, not the eastern Kearsage Pass route he took

It's beyond amazing without any snow on it


I wonder how he planned to navigate this vast expanse of snow and rock when the major landmarks were heavily snow covered and only intermittently identifiable between storms. Wouldn't he have at least had a GPS of some sort? (unfortunately, those run on batteries and batteries are heavy to carry and don't work well in the cold - I've slept with batteries in my clothes while camping to keep them warm and functional). If a GPS, why not just do the safe thing and carry a PLB as Dawookie mentions above?

What would his winter warfare training at Pickel Meadows Marine base have taught him about winter survival? Did he leave more detailed plans of his route with any buddies or family? Did he leave information about bail-out plans?

How much experience as a back country skier did he have? A solo backcountry skier.

My gut suspicion is that he is out there within 40 miles of Kearsage Pass. Please let them find him soon
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The avalanche evidence found was near the beginning of his trip. He may not have gotten very far at all.

Avalanche debris found as search for US Marine missing after ski trip continues

The Onion Valley parking lot photo is a testament to this, sadly.

Missing Marine's SUV found, crews continue search ahead of late-winter storm, authorities say
 
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Herat said:
This is a virtual tour of the route, although it starts from the Kings Canyon NP side, not the eastern Kearsage Pass route he took

It's beyond amazing without any snow on it


I wonder how he planned to navigate this vast expanse of snow and rock when the major landmarks were heavily snow covered and only intermittently identifiable between storms. Wouldn't he have at least had a GPS of some sort? (unfortunately, those run on batteries and batteries are heavy to carry and don't work well in the cold - I've slept with batteries in my clothes while camping to keep them warm and functional). If a GPS, why not just do the safe thing and carry a PLB as Dawookie mentions above?

What would his winter warfare training at Pickel Meadows Marine base have taught him about winter survival? Did he leave more detailed plans of his route with any buddies or family? Did he leave information about bail-out plans?

How much experience as a back country skier did he have? A solo backcountry skier.

My gut suspicion is that he is out there within 40 miles of Kearsage Pass. Please let them find him soon
Click to expand...
So just talked a friend that just got out of the Marines who had been through the Winter Warfare course up there. Said they got taught basic winter survival skills. Building snow caves, cross country skiing, trapping etc. Said it wasn't anything too extensive
 
The avalanches we saw in the Inyo County Sheriff's Updates don't really look that huge to me., although it doesn't take much, I think he would have made it up to Kearsarge Pass and beyond, if only due to sheer adrenalin and determination at the beginning of the trip. It takes a lot to realize you have turn around and back down and the urge to progess forward early in a trip can be very misleading.

The air search saw numerous avalanches in the back country. They are sending in a small number of SAR Avalanche experts to try to get a trail going. The weather has cleared up, for the rest of this week so they should have some days with good visibility.

I read that there are MANY people offering to help and that ICSO has politely turned down their offers and left it to the professionals.

Pickel Meadows Marine Base is at about 6800 ft elevation with sole access to surrounding peaks up to 11,500 ft. I know they have a sound winter warfare course (many other nations send their military to trail there - even Sweden!). However the snowpack has been generally lean for the last 15 years, with some exceptions, so there may not have been a very heavy snowpack there when he was training. A snowpack that just didn't replicate the conditions that existed in the Sierras 2 weeks ago.
 
CT Marine missing in avalanche-prone California mountains

The terrain includes areas where avalanches have occurred and the weather has hampered the search, Mono County officials said.

“Cellphone forensics initiated by (the) Mono Sheriff showed that his last phone activity was in the Independence area,” the office’s Facebook page.

He graduated from the Infantry Officer Course and Winter Mountain Leaders Course, considered to be two of the most rigorous training courses in the Marine Corps, officials said.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office found Kraft’s vehicle on Friday at the Grays Meadows campground near Independence, Calif.

On Saturday, the Inyo County Search and Rescue unit used a Snowcat to rope-tow search-and-rescue team members on skis up to the Onion Valley parking area.

The search is being conducted by air and by ground with numerous agencies involved, including Marines from Kraft’s unit, officials said.

The terrain is so difficult that the sheriff’s office asked volunteers not to venture out to look for Kraft as emergency responders work to clear areas that have been impacted by avalanches.
 
I tried earlier to look for his FB posts, but it appears to me to be shut down.

I just keep thinking there must be some evidence in his computer about plans for this trip - emails, posting boards, FB, etc.

There must have been people he was corresponding with to get more information, work through plans and routes, issues, gear to take. Who would have advised him to take this route during the month of traditionally the second highest snow precipiation in the Sierras (January usually the highest). Wouldn’t he have been counseled to wait until April, like the other group?

There must have been some buddies who had an idea of what kind of mindset he would have: All or Nothing? Safety First? Retreat is not Failure?

I would also wonder how much experience he had as a solo backcountry skier, seeing has how he is stationed far from the regular mid-Sierra snowpacks of the Bishop- Mammoth- Sequoia backcountry type.

Maybe someone could enlighten me also as to how difficult it would be for a Marine in his position to get 11 days off like that. How far in advance would he have to schedule this leave? Having a very set timeframe that you have saved and planned for can be a huge motivator to continue on even though conditions are not optimal and there is nothing you can do to change them.
 
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1st Lt Matthew Kraft -Marine Missing After Back Country Hike - Uncle Sam's Misguided Children

I found this comment in the article interesting:

“We’re optimistic he has all the tools he needs to survive. Anytime a Marine takes liberty we make sure he has a plan. He communicated his itinerary and the gear he had. He also gave us information on his drop-off and pick-up point”. Captain Paul Gainey, 1st Marine Division.

I understand wanting to promote his skills and fitness, but something in this statement is .... off

IMHO, the one tool he really needed was a Personal Locator Beacon

How to Choose PLBs and Satellite Messengers | REI Expert Advice
 
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ETA:

How to Choose PLBs and Satellite Messengers | REI Expert Advice

You can rent them for trips, too, instead of buying them and paying for a subscription. I was following a colleague who had rented one for South American travel. It was really fun to watch his progress and it was easy to tell when he had stopped for a day or two. He could also easily send messages with it.
 
There was something of an update on incweb yesterday about the search area ( some bolding added):

"Backcountry snow instability and weather issues (including high winds) have been a significant challenge. Both aerial and ground searched have identified avalanche activity, cornices, and snow bridges throughout the wilderness, including along the Sierra High Route. The search zone has been determined to be larger than the State of Rhode Island and consists of the 195-mile Sierra High Route as well as multiple points of potential exit.

In previous days, Inyo SAR was busy with aerial reconnaissance; areas covered included trails and surrounding area near Kearsarge Pass and Onion Valley Road. CHP Inland Division Air Operations assisted. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks performed searches via air along with on the ground in areas that were determined to be safe and accessible in the vicinity of Cedar Grove.

Future plans include inserting Inyo SAR and Mono SAR team members below Kearsarge Pass near Big Pothole Lake. Additional ground searches are also being coordinated by multiple agencies if searchers feel they can be inserted safely- avalanche issues will remain a point of concern."

That lake ( Big Pothole Lake) is about 12 trail miles from the Onion Valley Trailhead. It sounds like they are searching the avalanches that could be there (steep slope on Kearsarge Pass) So they are searching close to the start and on the west side too (Cedar Grove).

Hope he has hunckered down in some safe spot
 
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I really appreciate the detailed posts and search updates. I'll never cease to be amazed at the determination and will of those such as 1st Lt. Kraft to undertake these solo efforts, even if some seem ill-advised. I also truly appreciate the skills and efforts of all SAR personnel. Bless each one and bless this Marine and his loved ones.
 
He is a Citadel grad. This article supports info posted above

Marine, 2016 Citadel grad goes missing during hike in Sierra Nevada mountains

Search and rescue teams have done aerial reconnaissance. Future plans for the search include putting in a ground team near an area known as Kearsarge Pass and Big Pothole Lake. Crews are also concerned about safety given possible issues with avalanches.


Air support is being coordinated with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Fresno County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, Air National Guard, China Lake Naval Weapons Base, and the United States Marine Corps.

According to The Citadel’s website, Kraft was a member of the third battalion India Company and was also named a Summerall Guard at the school.
 
Something in the wording of the update makes me think they are actually searching in the most apparent avalanches.
 
Herat said:
Something in the wording of the update makes me think they are actually searching in the most apparent avalanches.
Click to expand...
I agree. And that's what I was afraid of initially, since they reported on avalanche debris near the Onion Valley parking lot. If he's there, sadly, he didn't get very far on this adventure. Too bad he couldn't/didn't wait until the weather was more favorable. It seems an incredibly beautiful journey and I bet he was excited to complete it.
 
I agree.

I just wonder if it's really tough to get 10 day's leave and the only time was this window, so he made the choice to take it now, rather than wait until optimum conditions in late April.

Having been trained at Pickel Meadows Marine Winter Warfare base north of Bridgeport, and no doubt having good contacts there, I wonder what kind of advice they gave.

The 1st battalian spokesman (from Camp Pendleton) also said they go over plans and gear, so who else would have thought this was safe / feasible / optimal when (from what I can read) those heavily experienced in Sierra backcountry skiing would not do it.
 
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Herat said:
I found this comment in the article interesting:

“We’re optimistic he has all the tools he needs to survive. Anytime a Marine takes liberty we make sure he has a plan. He communicated his itinerary and the gear he had. He also gave us information on his drop-off and pick-up point”. Captain Paul Gainey, 1st Marine Division.

I understand wanting to promote his skills and fitness, but something in this statement is .... off
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I don't think the Marines were endorsing his off duty recreation plans per se, nor were they using the proposed back country ski trip to directly promote Marine skills and fitness.

Rather, the Marines could simply be stating that the missing Marine had shown personal responsibility before leaving and that the missing Marine had the skills and equipment to complete the trip, though it was inherently dangerous.

In short, the Marines actions seem to be similar to the Navy saying: "Yes, Seal 'S' informed us that he planned to do dangerous wreck diving while on vacation (Seals probably have extreme recreation tastes). Seal 'S' had the experience and gear to do the dive- though it remained dangerous."
 
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Herat said:
I agree.

I just wonder if it's really tough to get 10 day's leave and the only time was this window, so he made the choice to take it now, rather than wait until optimum conditions in late April.

Having been trained at Pickel Meadows Marine Winter Warfare base north of Bridgeport, and no doubt having good contacts there, I wonder what kind of advice they gave.

The 1st battalian spokesman (from Camp Pendleton) also said they go over plans and gear, so who else would have thought this was safe / feasible / optimal when (from what I can read) those heavily experienced in Sierra backcountry skiing would not do it.
Click to expand...
I've also read accounts from other Sierra hikers/backpackers/skiers on some of their forums commenting that this was an ill-advised mission due to the timing and the extreme winter they are having there. I guess that whoever checked his gear and destination was only a means of accountability as to where he was going and if he was taking precautions. Would his supervisors or this person have advised against it? Or forbidden it? If it's his leave time, maybe he's on his own when making decisions like this. And being located near there, he'd have to have been aware of the weather and the tons of snow the Sierras were getting during that time...still I believe. Such a shame. Hope they are able to find him, one way or the other.
 
Interesting photo off of inciweb:

Central Sierra SAR – Photo – National Park Service - InciWeb the Incident Information System

Searching Muir Hut on Muir Pass.

About 75 miles from his vehicle.

Makes sense to copter into the obvious hideouts

Closer to the beginning of the trail - one of the avalanche experts on skis

Central Sierra SAR - Photo - Inyo County Sheriff - InciWeb the Incident Information System

Some of the area above Kearsage Pass being searched:

Central Sierra SAR- Photo - National Park Service - InciWeb the Incident Information System
 
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