2 missing women rescued in Alaskan wilderness

When Erica Nelson and Abby Flantz lost their way during an overnight hike into Denali National Park, they decided to keep hiking.

"We spent a couple of days (doing) 11 hours of hiking. We kept seeing more mountains, more ridges," recalled Nelson, 23.

"The terrain was a lot harder than we thought it would be, and it was farther than we thought it would be," added 25-year-old Flantz.

The two backpackers' misadventure spanned six days and concluded Wednesday evening when a rescue helicopter airlifted them from the rugged terrain.

A massive search for the women began Saturday soon after they were reported overdue at their summer jobs at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, a hotel outside the park some 180 miles north of Anchorage. Searchers scoured 100 square miles of open tundra, black spruce forest and hillsides of dense alder and willow.