The "Tek" Campground is in the woods near this point of the Teklanika River. Walking off-trail along the river is a popular hike for campground-goers/NPS
A search was ongoing Sunday for a California man who separated from a friend while out on a hike in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska and failed to return to their campground.
Mukunda Egen, 42, was seasonally employed in the area. He was last seen at about 11 p.m. Friday. He is described as 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, brown hair, short beard, and was wearing an orange jacket and a green and grey hat. He is a novice backpacker and is known to have only a small amount of food and water in a daypack, a park release said.
Egen and a friend were camping at Teklanika Campground and started a day hike from the campground on Friday afternoon. The pair separated at about 11 p.m. when Egen, who had earlier complained of knee pain, chose a less steep route than his hiking companion. Soon after, the pair lost sight of each other in the fog. Egen’s companion tried to retrace their route looking for Egen before reaching the campground at 4 a.m. Saturday. She then contacted park rangers, the release said.
Weather and terrain are factors in the search efforts. Rain and fog were predicted throughout the day Sunday and the search area is thick with high-brush willows.
Approximately 40 people were involved in the search, including five teams of three hikers each, two helicopters, and two search-and-rescue dog teams from Fairbanks.
Egen, according to his companion, was not prepared for an overnight hike nor did he have rain gear or extra food and water. Anyone with information about the man's whereabouts is asked to call the park’s communication center at 907-683-9555.
The Teklanika ("Tek") River Campground is at mile 29 on the Denali Park Road. The second largest campground in Denali, it offers 53 sites for RVs and tents. It is open May 20 - mid-September each year.
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