Thirteen young hikers who became stranded during a wildfire in the Lake Tahoe region were back home Tuesday morning with their families.
It was a long ordeal for the parents of the young men as the Placer County Sheriff's Office mounted a search and rescue operation to find the 13 teenagers, ages 16 to 19, who have been neighborhood friends in Sacramento since kindergarten.
The hikers took the Palisades Tahoe Trail in the Sierra Nevada, not far from where the Royal Fire is burning. Sheriff’s deputies swept the area to warn hikers of the fire danger and at about 8 p.m. Sunday found the hikers' cars parked at the trailhead but no sign of the group.
"We didn't know if they were caught up in the fire or trying to outrun it back to their cars," parent Karla Hurd said. "We weren't sure how they were handling the situation."
Parent Jack Kenna added, "Relief. So relieved, so happy. There was the period of time where I didn't know what was going on. I know all these kids, and they are capable, but yes, it's pure relief."
The hikers shot photos of their campsite and the plume of smoke they knew they had to get away from. They chose a trail one of the older hikers was familiar with. They hiked an extra 5 miles, and a sheriff's helicopter spotted them early Monday morning.
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Two members of the search and rescue team dropped in and hiked with the teens to safety. Parents reunited with their sons at Cascade Lake.
Meanwhile, the Royal Fire that first sparked Sunday evening west of Soda Springs had grown slightly to 200 acres by Tuesday morning.
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