Captain Matthew Kraft — Missing on the Sierra High Route
Captain Matthew Kraft was 24 years old when he vanished in the Independence area of Inyo County around March 4th, 2019. At the time he disappeared, he held the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps; he was later posthumously promoted to Captain after being declared deceased.
A highly skilled Marine and experienced outdoorsman, Kraft set out on a solo ski‑and‑hike expedition on February 24, 2019, intending to complete the 195‑mile Sierra High Route. He was 6'1", 185 lbs, and believed to be carrying Oakley sunglasses, a Petzl headlamp, a Kwikpoint military sleeping system, a Katadyn water filter, an Otter iPhone case, Scarpa T1 ski boots, and a shadow‑grey Osprey pack rain cover.
The Disappearance
Captain Kraft served as a platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, California. His plan was to begin near Lone Pine in the Inyo National Forest and complete the route in roughly ten days, arriving in Bridgeport on March 4th or 5th.
He never arrived.
On March 4th, Kraft’s father contacted the Mono County Sheriff’s Office to report him missing. The next day, deputies attempted to ping Kraft’s phone, placing its last known activity in the Independence area. Searchers began checking trailheads and access points for any sign of him.
On March 8th, Kraft’s rented vehicle — a grey 2016 Jeep Wrangler — was located near the Grays Meadows campground above Independence.
Search & Rescue
Search and rescue teams spent two weeks looking for Captain Kraft. The effort included:
- Ground teams
- Canine units
- Helicopters equipped with FLIR
- RECCO avalanche‑rescue technology
Conditions were severe. Heavy snowfall had been reported around the time Kraft vanished, and searchers noted evidence of avalanche activity throughout the region.
Despite the scale of the operation, no trace of Kraft or his equipment has ever been found.
The official search was suspended on March 15, 2019.
Vanished.us Says
The obvious explanation is an avalanche — sudden, overwhelming, and capable of burying someone before they can react. But even that theory has problems.
Captain Kraft was exceptionally well‑equipped. A Kwikpoint sleeping system is designed to keep military personnel warm and dry in extreme conditions. He carried high‑quality gear, had extensive training, and knew how to survive in harsh environments. If he had time to deploy any of that equipment, he likely would have.
That suggests whatever happened was instantaneous.
An avalanche fits that scenario — but avalanches also tend to leave clues. Over time, melting snow reveals equipment, clothing, or remains. In Kraft’s case, nothing has surfaced. Not a ski, not a glove, not a scrap of fabric.
Everything about this case points toward an avalanche… and yet something about it resists that conclusion. The total absence of evidence is unusual, even in the High Sierra.