Evan Matteo from San Francisco

Skiing at Squaw Valley 12/18/01, skied north off Granite Chief Peak at about 1100, forgot to turn right down into the ski area. Ended up 2.5 miles north, near the North Fork of the American River, about 1500’ below Tinker’s Knob. Spotted by A21, CHP fixed wing, picked up by Calstar 6 medical helicopter, approximately 0930, 12/19. No injuries, excellent physical condition.

TNSAR involvement: No tracks found by Squaw Valley Ski Patrol, TNSAR assigned to search entire boundary. 1 day old new snow, about 10-14”. High winds had scoured ridges, medium powder down lower. Very easy to see tracks if dropped far enough off ridge to hit light snow. Temperature 24 degrees, light winds down low, moderate winds over ridges, clear skies. Avalanche danger moderate. 9 searchers deployed at 2200. Team 1 searched from KT Saddle down to Five Lakes and on to confluence of Whiskey Creek and Five Lakes Creek. Team 2 Searched from Granite Chief Saddle across the Middle Fork American Divide, back up to saddle, then down Shirley Canyon. Team 3 searched from Granite Chief Saddle around under Emigrant Peak, down to Whiskey Creek, and along the creek to the confluence with 5 Lakes Creek, then up into Sun Bowl, and across to KT Saddle. Team 4 searched the backside of KT and Red Dog down to Alpine Meadows Road. No tracks found, all teams out by 0600, 6 new searchers arrived. Team 5 went to Granite Chief Peak to verify no tracks on west and north sides. Team 6 checked backside of Red Dog and from KT down into 5 Lakes. A21 spotted victim and directed Team 5 to his location, they arrived just as Calstar 6 arrived. Calstar 6 pulled them all out to Squaw Valley parking lot. Six people helped with command post and truck duties. Thiokol and snowmobiles were ready to drop into The Cedars to extract victim if helicopter was unable to succeed.

Dispatch	Truck/Coordination	Team 1	Team 2	Team 3	Team 4	Team 5	Team 6	Mechanized	Others
Marty Schoonmaker Jackie Thomas Marilyn Stack Lisa Swartz Terri Viehmann	Gerald Rockwell Karen Honeywell Randy Sharp Jim ? Joe Pace Paul Cushing	John Pang Steve Twomey Dirk Schoonmaker	Steve Matson Steve Reynaud Bernie Mellor	Randall Osterhuber Doug Read Mike Kennet	Russ Viehmann Peter York	Ron Driller Bob Wright Mark Johnson	Dan Ingalls Jim Granger Sarah Lagano	Ray O’Brien Scoop Reminih Brian Devore	Scott Edmondson Derek Wilson