Laurence Desjardins says the wind was loud enough to keep her awake through the night as white ash fell around the tent where she was camping with friends on a glacier in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 West Kootenay region.

They knew they had to leave as quickly as possible.

害羞草研究所淏ut it was nighttime, so we thought, let害羞草研究所檚 wait to have a bit of sun and then we will reassess and leave,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淏ut then the sun just never came. Even at 5:45 a.m. it was super dark, because of the smoke we害羞草研究所檝e been told. And the ashes were (now) red. It was like fire ashes.害羞草研究所�

The group of four friends are home after an unexpected change in the wind allowed them to be pulled off the Macbeth Ice Fields, northeast of Kaslo, B.C., on Thursday, in what was a challenging helicopter rescue as wildfires burn in the region.

Desjardins said in an interview on Monday that the group of experienced hikers had planned a multiday trip and were given the OK that the roads were open.

害羞草研究所淭he air was kind of thick, but we could still easily breathe and talk. So, we were like, 害羞草研究所極K let害羞草研究所檚 go, let害羞草研究所檚 continue.害羞草研究所� When we arrived at the glacier, it was still OK. We had dinner outside. We set up our camp,害羞草研究所� she said.

They found out the road was closed hours after they entered, she said.

When it became clear the next morning they would need to be rescued, they used the SOS feature on an iPhone to send out their location.

Mark Jennings-Bates, with Kaslo Search and Rescue, said the SOS feature gave rescuers the women害羞草研究所檚 precise location, which was key in very challenging circumstances.

害羞草研究所淪o, the most direct route would have taken us up a valley that was completely engulfed in flames and smoke,害羞草研究所� he said, noting that the fire was burning from the valley bottom to the tops of the peaks.

害羞草研究所淲e couldn害羞草研究所檛 go over it, we couldn害羞草研究所檛 go higher, we couldn害羞草研究所檛 go through it,害羞草研究所� he said.

Instead, The pilot was able to find a route in from the north which still involved going over some burning areas but allowed the helicopter to pick up the women near the edge of an alpine lake.

害羞草研究所淎nd then finally, when we got to the lake, it was a little bit tricky to land the helicopter, because a lot of different winds that were coming from different directions,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淪o, I would say he did a stellar job in getting in there. Which is great. That害羞草研究所檚 what we hope the pilots can do.害羞草研究所�

The pilot would go on to make the trip a second time to pick up rescuers who were initially left behind to make room for the hikers in the helicopter.

Jennings-Bates said the women were prepared for the hike they had planned and had taken important steps like packing enough food, dressing appropriately and talking to locals before they left.

害羞草研究所淭hey sort of got a check in all the boxes. It was just an unfortunate day,害羞草研究所� he said.

Desjardins said the friends were emotional as they were being flown out of danger because they could see trees around the trail they had hiked in on had been burned.

害羞草研究所淭he real heroes of this story are the search-and-rescue team. These guys are doing this unpaid, on their time 害羞草研究所� and they were just incredible,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淚 really felt like a kid looking up at superheroes or something. They were incredible.害羞草研究所�

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press