Solo Summit of Mt. McKinley

If at first you don’t succeed then try, try and try again. This year was Grand Marais resident Lonnie Dupre’s fourth attempt to summit Mt. McKinley solo in January. No one else had this claim to fame until Lonnie accomplished this feat on Sunday.   Mt. McKinley is also known by its Athabascan name Denali which means “The Great One.”  It is indeed a great one, the tallest peak in North America at 20,237 feet.

In January Denali is a formidable creature. With freezing cold temperatures, unforgiving winds and very little daylight it is a place not many people would want to be. But for Lonnie it was possibly about the need to be there and his desire to reach the peak and accomplish his goal.  Planning, persistence and possibly some stubborness along with the cooperation of Mother Nature, helped Lonnie make it to the summit. They usually say the 3rd time is the charm but for Lonnie, it was the 4th time.

Lonnie hoped to be picked up at Basecamp today by helicopter and be brought to Talkeetna. For more information you can check out his website.

Congratulations Lonnie!