Alaskan skiers rescued after 4 days stuck on glacier

Rescuers on Tuesday picked up two skiersstranded on an Alaska glacier for four days, and the experiencedoutdoor enthusiasts were in good condition after braving fiercewinds and snow by digging a snow cave for shelter.

A break in the weather allowed an Alaska Air National Guardhelicopter to land on Bear Glacier just after noon to reachJenniferNeyman and Christopher Hanna.

Rescuers aboard assessed the health ofNeyman and Hanna before they were flown to a hospital for care.

An airplane had dropped off Neyman, 36, and Hanna, 45, on Fridaybut could not return that night because of badweather.

Thoughplanning to spend just one day on the glacier, they carried a lighttent and two days of provisions, pluscommunication devicesimportant to their rescue.

Strong wind and snow shredded their tent Saturday. They dug snowshelters but were running out of fuel for their cook stove.

Neyman and Hanna used cellphone calls and satellite text messagesto communicate with friends and rescuers.

Satellite co-ordinatesindicated the duo were at the 1,300-metrelevel of the 21-kilometre-longglacier, one of more than 30 in the Harding Ice Field, the largestice field entirely within U.S. boundaries.

Strong winds and low clouds hampered rescue efforts. But a Guardhelicopter pinpointed the skiers' location Tuesday, and crew membersspotted skis believed to mark the entrance of a snow cave they dug.

The Guard's Rescue Coordination Center had received a satellitetext message from the two earlier Tuesday saying they were "OK".