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Jill Atwood reportingCompanionship kept two snowboaders warm in the canyons of Powder Mountain all night after losing their way in the back country yesterday afternoon.
"We didn't feed off of one another's fear because that would have just done us in."
Melissa Ray and Angie Dinsmore say they kept calm and developed a clear plan. The pair knew that when they didn't meet up with a friend people would start looking for them.
They followed a far more experienced snowboarder into the backcountry, took a wrong turn, and found themselves stuck.
Heavy snow, fog, frigid temperatures-- all factors working against rescue teams. The mountain was so socked in, no helicopter could fly. The search had to be done all by ground.
Jeff Malan/Weber County Sheriff's Office: "We sent ski teams down off the top and snowmobiles from the bottom with some snowshoers. Ski team found the tracks, ended up being who we are looking for."
The pair disappeared into the backcountry of Powder Mountain about 1:00 Saturday afternoon. They tried to walk out, but deep snow and darkness put an end to that quickly. So they decided to just sit tight and wait
Melissa Ray/Missing Snowboarder: "We just kind of dug into the side of the ridge. There was no wind and I had two hand warmers. Just hung out."
"Anything and everything. People at work, a little gossip, and a little tv, just so we were constantly talking. And if someone was out there looking for us, they at least hear our voices."
The Weber County Sheriff's Office says it's so easy to take a wrong turn in bad conditions. The best bet-- especially on weekends like this one-- stay inside the resorts.
"A lot of them want to get into that fresh powder and get into that back country. The problem with that is if they haven't thought of their exit route, and they get down in the wrong drainage and there is no way out."
The sheriff's office says the two women were lucky it didn't get as cold as it can in those mountains overnight.
They were a little hungry, with some blue lips to warm up, but all and all both are just fine tonight.
