Hiker missing in Eastern Sierra hasn’t been seen for 20 days

Authorities in the Mammoth Lakes area are seeking the public’s assistance in their search for a hiker missing in the Eastern Sierra.

Matthew Greene, 39, was reported missing to Mammoth Lakes police on July 29, authorities said. Described as an “avid outdoorsman,” Greene came to the Mammoth Lakes area around June 27 to hike, camp and climb peaks throughout the Eastern Sierra, authorities said. He is believed to have been interested in climbing Mt. Lyell, Mt. Ritter and Mt. Banner.

Greene was last heard from on July 16, according to the Mono County Sheriff’s Department. At the time Greene was camping at Shady Rest Campground near Mammoth Lakes while his vehicle was being repaired. He never retrieved his vehicle from the repair shop and he did not return to the campground, authorities said.

He had been hiking with friends in the region and stayed behind while his vehicle was being fixed. His friends moved ahead, and he was to meet them later. When he did not meet his friends as planned, they discovered his car was still in the shop and called police, according to Greene’s family.

Greene’s sister, Tiffany Minto, set up a Facebook page titled Find Matthew Greene giving details about Greene and the search.

“The family is struggling right now,” Minto told The Times in a message. “We feel really helpless. The lack of clues and subsequent lack of answers is the hardest part … We just want him found. We’re hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.”

Greene, who lives in Bethlehem, Penn., teaches high school in Nazareth, Penn., according to the Facebook page. Nazareth High School lists him as a mathematics teacher.

Greene’s cellphone is either dead or untraceable, his family said on the Facebook page. He often spends breaks in the school year in the outdoors, hiking and traveling.

Numerous students of Greene’s have posted messages on the Facebook page.

Green was “my favorite math teacher when I was in high school,” one former student wrote. “I check this page what feels like 100 times a day hoping to see good news.”

Minto said she received an email from a sheriff’s detective telling her that the last call Greene made was to the garage where his Subaru was being repaired.

The Mono County sheriff’s search-and-rescue team has sent ground crews to search the Mt. Ritter and Mt. Banner area, authorities said. A California Highway Patrol helicopter, as part of a training mission with assistance from the sheriff’s department, did a “brief search of the area,” including the Minarets peaks, sheriff’s officials said.

Greene has not signed any summit registers in the area, family and authorities said.

Sheriff’s officials are analyzing forest service permits and emailing permit holders to try to locate Greene, authorities said.

Greene is described as 5 feet 11, 160 pounds with short, blond-brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or other tips is asked to call Mammoth Lakes Police Det. Doug Hornbeck at (760) 934-2011 or the Mono County Sheriff’s Department at (760) 932-7549, ext. 7.

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hailey.branson@latimes.com

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