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TLP
climber
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Mar 11, 2019 - 07:45am PT
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The idea of skiing the length of the Sierra goes way further back than any video. The book High Odyssey (Gene Rose, 1987) recounts the story of Orland Bartholomew, who skied (solo) from Mt Whitney to Yosemite in the winter of 1928-29. An amazing and little known trip.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Mar 11, 2019 - 10:52am PT
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Sad to read and hoping for the best outcome! It is a very vast area! Fortunately everything is white so hoping he's wearing some contrasting colors there might be some hope in aerial reconnaissance. Would want to know his understanding of the area and experience. He might have got to the top and decided to bail out to Kings Canyon, Cedar Grove where the line of sight to civilization might seem closer. Wishing all the SAR personal the best!
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limpingcrab
Gym climber
Minkler, CA
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Mar 11, 2019 - 01:00pm PT
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I can pretty much guarantee that this video inspired Mr. Kraft Great video!
That's funny that they didn't know the road to Cedar Grove was closed and they walked the 30 miles to Kings Canyon.
Back on topic, it's gonna be a tough search considering a lot of snow has fallen since he was last seen :(
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 11, 2019 - 05:45pm PT
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[Click to View YouTube Video]
The video link that ClimbingOn posted.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Andrew Bentz held the John Muir Trail "Fastest Known Unsupported Time" until recently,
[Click to View YouTube Video]
checked out the Sierra High Route in advance,
and went with a partner when he skied it in springtime (late April, 2017).
Very different than going solo onsight in the wintertime (February 24, 2019).
I wonder if Matthew Kraft realized this.
[The phrasing here relies on the very unproven assumption that he watched the first video and was inspired by it.]
Sometimes people go solo because they can't find a partner for their project on short notice.
It takes time to develop a network of partners interested in certain types of projects.
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10b4me
Social climber
Lida Junction
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Mar 11, 2019 - 09:52pm PT
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checked out the Sierra High Route in advance,
and went with a partner when he skied it in springtime.
Very different than going solo onsight in the wintertime.
I wonder if Matthew Kraft realized this.
I've been wondering out much experience he had.
VERY poor judgment to attempt this while the storm track was wide open.
Anyone truly competent to attempt it would know that.
I agree.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Mar 11, 2019 - 11:20pm PT
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The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is now linking to InciWeb for search updates:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6272/
Incident Overview
CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, Calif. March 11, 2019 – This is the sixth day of an intense multiagency search for missing Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Matthew Kraft, a 24 year old man from Washington, Connecticut. 1st Lt. Kraft is 6’1” and 185 pounds.
1st Lt. Kraft’s planned itinerary is the 195-mile Sierra High Route; he is believed to have hiked out of Kearsarge Pass on Feb 24 with a plan of concluding his hike near the Twin Lakes area by Bridgeport, CA on March 4 or 5. Kraft commissioned as a Marine Corps officer on May 6, 2016. He graduated from some of the Marine Corps' most rigorous training including Infantry Officer Course and Winter Mountain Leaders Course.
The Winter Mountain Leaders Course, taught in Bridgeport, possibly inspired too much confidence in Lt. Kraft.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Mar 12, 2019 - 12:08am PT
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hey there, say, clint... man oh man... thanks for sharing the videos...
it helped me see more, of, where this man was, and what he was aiming for...
thank you kunlun_shan, for all the rescue-post, note situation...
prayers for all concerned still...
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Mar 12, 2019 - 08:07am PT
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Cragman. Oh Cragman, where for art thou?
Terrible time of year and weather to do that run solo. I'd wait until late April let things consolodate.
I guess he will pop up with the spring thaw. It would be great to find him hunkered down somewhere but not likely.
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hailman
Trad climber
Ventura, CA
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Mar 12, 2019 - 10:07am PT
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Been following this hoping for a good outcome.....
Is there any chance there's been some mix-up in lingo here?
There is another skier "high route" that traverse the Sierra east-west from either Kearsarge / Shepherd Pass to the Wolverton ski area near Lodgepole on the west side.
To my mind it is simply incomprehensible / beyond superhuman to try skiing Roper's High Route solo and unsupported during a big winter....
EDIT: I hate to speculate on these threads but as a solo traveler in need of rescue your whereabouts must be initially interpreted by family and friends who might not have the best familiarity with the route -- depending of course on how detailed your description to them is.
If he was on the skier "high route" to Wolverton it would narrow the search area considerably.
Although I just can't help fearing he was caught in an avalanche. I was out by Wolverton two weeks ago, it was warm with very wet precip. making for awful conditions.
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bearbnz
Trad climber
East Side, California
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Mar 12, 2019 - 10:40am PT
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Contrast the conditions at Devils Postpile on March 10, 2019 to May 2, 2017 (image taken from around 8:34 in the youtube referenced above).
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Ikat
Social climber
north of here
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Mar 12, 2019 - 11:02am PT
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Hailman
It’s clear from all the news bulletins, including those from the spokesman for the 1st Marine Division that he intended to do the traditional SHR from Kearsarge Pass to Mono Village at Twin Lakes, just west of Bridgeport.
He may have had some famiiliarity with the northern end of the trek as he had been stationed at Pickel Meadows Marine Base for winter warfare training there, which is not far from Twin Lakes.
But yeah, February.
I wonder if he could only get enought time on leave in late Feb instead of April.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 12, 2019 - 11:53am PT
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I can’t imagine getting over Kearsarge Pass alive with all that new snow. Suicide.
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hailman
Trad climber
Ventura, CA
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Mar 12, 2019 - 01:05pm PT
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OK thanks Ikat, I think the spokesman for his division would be a reliable source.
Some of these other "news" sources tend to latch on to stories like these and run wild regardless of having any familiarity with objectives / terrain / experience of party involved, etc.
I agree the timing was not good. That is such a long distance to travel too.
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ClimbingOn
Trad climber
NY
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Mar 12, 2019 - 03:35pm PT
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The SHR goes over 33 significant named passes. A few of them are exceptionally steep and I found myself third and fourth classing some of the time. Keep in mind the majority of the route is off-trail and the passes in particular can be fairly loose/chossy/scree-filled. With the tremendous amount of snow this year an avalanche seems not only possible but likely.
I'm still hoping for a positive outcome but as the days go by it seems less likely. Hoping for a miracle at this point.
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johntp
Trad climber
Punter
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Mar 12, 2019 - 04:04pm PT
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Surely if he was still on the move searchers would have found tracks or some sign of activity.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Mar 12, 2019 - 06:08pm PT
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Marines are pretty gung ho.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 12, 2019 - 06:40pm PT
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Being gung ho doesn’t always translate to good decision making.
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