OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, Wash. - Olympic National Park rangers on Sunday afternoon found a 53-year-old Port Townsend man who got lost while cross-country skiing in snowy conditions in the Hurricane Ridge area Saturday night.

Christophe Robert

Snowshoe trail at Hurricane Ridge.

Park officials said Randy Kraxberger was in good condition and planned to ski back to Hurricane Ridge with his rescuers.

"Fortunately he did have the preparation, he had equipment and was able to survive," said park spokeswoman Barb Maynes.

Six rescuers on skis reached him at the summit of Hurricane Hill around 1 p.m. Sunday, almost 24 hours after he first reported getting disoriented after clouds rolled in where he'd been skiing.

About a dozen park staff, 10 volunteers from Olympic Mountain Rescue, employees of the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club and personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station at Port Angeles took part in the search and rescue effort.

Kraxberger used a cell phone to call his wife Saturday afternoon, saying he had become disoriented after clouds rolled in.

Rescuers searched Saturday night until about midnight, primarily along the Hurricane Hill Road, using whistles, lights and sirens in an attempt to attract Kraxberger to safety.  Two rescuers tried to ski beyond the road's end onto the Hurricane Hill Route, but were turned back due to blizzard conditions and hazardous avalanche conditions on the slopes.

Kraxberger spent the night in a snow cave, and made cell phone contact with rangers at about 8 a.m. Sunday. He was able to provide rescuers with some information about his surroundings and probable location.

Maynes said the Hurricane Ridge area can be confusing because in the summer, particularly around the visitor's center, there are paved paths and it's bustling with activity.

"But in winter it becomes a completely different story," she said.

"There really are no ski trails in Olympic National Park. We have ski routes, where you're really using back country skills and route-finding skills and people need to be prepared for spending the night out if need be," she said. "They need to be prepared for truly a wilderness experience."