Anchorage Daily News

Two hikers apparently ill-prepared for an extended trek and who disappeared after heading out on the fabled Stampede Trail last week were rescued Monday, three days after they were last seen near the "Into the Wild" school bus, according to Alaska State Troopers.

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Donald Carroll, 19, of Illinois and Jia Long He, 21, of China were lifted from the wilderness by a troopers helicopter early Monday afternoon, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

"They are alive, cold and wet," she said. Details on what happened on the hike were not immediately available.

Carroll and He had last been seen by other hikers along the trail at about 7 p.m. Friday, when they left their apparent destination -- the abandoned bus near Denali National Park and Preserve.

The "magic bus" gained notoriety after young adventurer Christopher McCandless hiked out to it and died there in an adventure documented in Sean Penn's film "Into the Wild" and Jon Krakauer's best-selling book of the same name.

In the time since, the spot has drawn adventurers attracted to the mystique of McCandless' story. But the hike, though itself not particularly challenging, can be dangerous for the unprepared -- especially crossing the Teklanika River, which often gets too high and swift to cross, said Jon Nierenberg, owner of the EarthSong Lodge, one of the last developments along the Stampede Road.

"In the middle of the summertime, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to cross," he said. "It just always seems a matter of time until someone is going to fall in that river."

When they were last seen, Carroll and He reportedly were leaving the bus for a hike to the Teklanika River before planning to return home, troopers said.

With only street clothes on and a little food, the pair appeared ill-equipped for a lengthy outing, troopers said. Witnesses reported at least one of the men was wearing tennis shoes with plastic bags over them to keep his feet dry.

They were reported missing at about 11 a.m. Saturday after they failed to show up for work at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, troopers said.

Officials at the lodge did not return a call seeking comment Monday.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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