I found a complete set of gear -- stove, pack, bear can, tent, pad, sleeping bag, etc. -- on my way out on a backpack. The food was partially eaten. It looked like it might have been an uncomfortable dry camp that had been there at least a little while, perhaps over the winter. I couldn't find any ID.

Has there been a search-and-rescue, death, or missing person in that area this year which resulted in abandoned gear? If so, please let me know. I'll probably head back and booty it otherwise.

EDIT: I emailed Inyo SAR; we'll see what they say.

Never know... he could have had multiple sets of all that stuff. And it has been a while. But yeah that is no where near Mammoth.

Could still call the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team at 760-566-6727 or email MosarOps@gmail.com. They have been handling the Matt Greene search. Or call detective Doug Hombeck 760 932 7549 x17 if you think it might be related.

Carrying all that stuff up doesn't really fit with Matt's past behavior or other things that are known, e.g. his car being ready the next day. However since it's a full set of gear including pack, you should probably send the description to both Inyo SAR and SEKI, seeing as it's right on the borderline. They might, but probably won't, be able to connect some dots.

If it's actually worth bootying (as opposed to hauling the trash out), I'd guess it's from this year. Abandoned gear I've run across that's survived a winter tends to be moldy, rotten and disgusting.

I emailed Inyo SAR and heard nothing, so the gear is now mine.

Maybe this is how Clyde outfitted himself with no income for so many years...

If the lore regarding Clyde is correct he had income in the form of a lifetime annual stipend from Walter Starr for finding Pete Starr. But it's likely Norman would have supplemented his outdoor essentials if he happened upon any gear left behind.

History also says that Walter Star paid for Eichorn to complete his degree in music at Berkeley. Myth or fact, I don't know, just piecing toghether what I've heard and read.

seano, thanks for checking first.

Maybe the person was melting snow for water. Is spring climbing consistent with the type of sleeping bag? Was there a fairly big pot for melting snow? That's a serious place to camp. The bear barrel gives me pause (for camping out-of-permit-season).

Here's to hoping that the person just walked out on the east side after an emergency, or after discovering that his/her gear was woefully inadequate.

MoapaPk wrote:Maybe the person was melting snow for water. Is spring climbing consistent with the type of sleeping bag? Was there a fairly big pot for melting snow?

There was a decent-sized pot (with some mold and a sock in it, oddly); the bag was probably good enough for spring, though I haven't found a temperature rating on it.

That's a serious place to camp. The bear barrel gives me pause (for camping out-of-permit-season).

Not to mention at least one unused wag bag -- do they give those for Whitney exits, or just entries? -- though I didn't find a permit.

I haven't thoroughly gone through the stuff, but here are a few more details: his-and-hers crocs, two mugs, two sporks, spare inner layers for two people, no headlamp. A rain fly and stakes, but apparently no tent body or poles. I almost didn't find it again because it was above the main line of footprints and cairns leading down toward Crabtree.

I'm a bit reluctant to speculate, but... I would guess it was one man and one woman, maybe heading over Trail Crest to Crabtree Lakes in early permit season. Something happened to the woman (SAR? fall?), and the man packed out, leaving the inessential gear and her personal gear.

Seano, It looks like the gear you found was left behind on Sept. 1st by the man & woman in the news story below. I understand your reluctance to speculate but in this case it looks like you were close. The man suffered a fatal fall and the woman was accompanied down by volunteers. I found the link to the news report on the Whitney Portal Message Board.

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/loca ... =video&c=y

-Rick

A moot point now, but last I was in the area there is a big box of unused wag bags aside the trail as you approach from the west... so for folks exiting. I can't remember exactly where. Probably near Crabtree ranger station.

RickF wrote:Seano, It looks like the gear you found was left behind on Sept. 1st by the man & woman in the news story below.

Almost certainly not, as it was well off the Whitney trail, and things left in the sun were significantly faded even when I passed through on 9/17.

Chad -- Thanks for the reminder. I passed right by that box the next day.

Seano, got it I see now the time frame and location don't match, I figured it was worth mentioning since it seemed to fit some of the criteria.

seano wrote:I emailed Inyo SAR and heard nothing, so the gear is now mine.

West of Discovery Pinnacle is most likely under SEKI jurisdiction not under Inyo. Could be why Inyo didn't respond.

RickF wrote:West of Discovery Pinnacle is most likely under SEKI jurisdiction not under Inyo. Could be why Inyo didn't respond.

Thanks. Hopefully they would have forwarded my mail, though...

Anyways, going through the gear today, I found a spotting scope labeled with the name "Zach M."