Minn. climber descends short of Mt. McKinley peak
Published 8:24 am Wednesday, January 26, 2011
GRAND MARAIS— A Minnesota man has safely descended to his base camp after brutal weather stalled his attempt to become the first solo climber to reach the summit of Alaska’s Mount McKinley in January.
Lonnie Dupre of Grand Marais was stuck at about 17,000 feet on the highest mountain in North America. He spent six nights in a tiny snow trench to escape the battering 100-mph winds.
Dupre’s expedition manager tells KSTP-TV that Dupre has safely descended to his camp at about 14,000 feet to regroup. Dupre took advantage of a break in the weather to begin descending the mountain Tuesday.
The Duluth News Tribune reports Dupre is also dealing with a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that may have changed the mountain’s landscape. McKinley’s peak is 20,320 feet.
