2 Hikers from Maine Stranded on Longs Peak

AP - Rescue crews have been activated for a pair of hikers stranded on Colorado's Longs Peak by an ice storm for the past two days.

The chief of staff for Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado tells The Associated Press that the National Park Service is organizing a perilous rescue by teams from Larimer and Boulder counties.

Employers and family members say 32-year-old Connie Yang and 33-year-old Suzanne Turell set out a week ago on a backpacking trip with summer gear in Rocky Mountain National Park. They got pinned down near the top of 14,200-foot Longs Peak.

The women, both from York, Maine, work for New Hampshire-based outdoor gear manufacturer NEMO Equipment Inc. They last sent a text message more than 24 hours ago seeking a rescue, before their cell-phone batteries died.

The women said they were hunkered down inside a tent in whiteout conditions trying to stay warm.