The search for a man with ties to Lehighton continues.

Matthew Greene, 39, has been missing in the Mammoth Lakes, Calif. area since July 17.He is a graduate of Lehighton Area High School and currently a math teacher at Nazareth Area High School.Search and rescue teams began searching the greater Mammoth Lakes area this weekend. With few leads and a large area to cover, the search has left friends and families with little information."They had a fairly large group, several hundred over the weekend," said Tiffany Minto, Greene's younger sister, who lives in Northampton."There's so much speculation as to what happened, and not a lot of evidence," she added. "They're working several angles."In addition to a physical search, search and rescue has also focused on examining park permits and summit registers. Hikers and park visitors are encouraged to register with the wilderness office, and hikers and climbers tend to sign a summit registry upon completing their climb.The focus remains on Mt. Banner, Mt. Ritter, and possibly Mt. Lyell in Yosemite.While Greene has not completed any wilderness permits or signed any summit registries since July 17, searchers are contacting those who registered in the hopes that someone has seen or spoke with him."The best that we can do is really get the word out," said Minto. "The problem with the area that they're in is that they're so remote," she said.Minto noted that it's likely anyone who spoke with Greene on or after July 17 is no longer in the Mammoth Lakes area. The remote town plays host to countless visitors from throughout the country and world during the summer."There are so many tourists in the area, so many hikers. Hopefully by getting the word out, someone who has moved on will realize that they saw him," she said.The family has launched a nationwide campaign to find people who may have spoken with Greene. Because his car was in an auto shop for repairs when he went missing, it's speculated that he received a ride to a trailhead to climb.Greene was traveling with friends, but stayed behind while waiting for his car to be repaired. When these friends did not hear from him, they contacted police, who discovered that Greene's car was not picked up and he had left gear at the Shady Rest campground. His cell phone is thought to be dead, damaged, or out of signal range.Examination of his gear indicates that he was prepared for a day trip. His overnight equipment was left at his campsite.He does seem to have crampons with him, gear that attaches to hiking boots and allows hikers to move more easily on ice and slick surfaces such as snow."With our family being in Pennsylvania, we're all feeling kind of helpless," said Minto. "My brother was well respected, well liked. We appreciate all of the support."To date, more than 5,000 people have liked the family's Facebook page, sharing details about Greene and spreading the word about his disappearance.Details continue to be posted at

www.facebook.com/findmattgreene as they are available. Additional information and photos are being posted on Flickr and Twitter, also under the name "Find Matt Greene."Anyone with information about Greene, or who may have spoken to Greene, is asked to contact the Mammoth Lakes police department at (760) 934-2011.