SAN FRANCISCO — Eleven hikers, including at least one teenager from Hawai'i, who were reported missing in a rugged area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range hiked to safety today, hours after rescue teams launched a search.

The names of the teens have not been released, but sheriff's officials said they were from "all over the country," including Hawai'i, Connecticut, Montana, Massachusetts and California.

The teens, ages 13 to 16, and their two 30-year-old guides turned up at a remote camp store several miles outside the search area, said Brad Mushovic, executive director of wilderness programs at Outward Bound, the nonprofit group that organized the expedition.

The hikers had last been seen on Sunday.

"We're happy to see such a positive outcome," Mushovic said. He reported no injuries.

The hikers were on the tail end of a two-week backpacking and rock-climbing trip in the Sierra National Forest about 10 miles west of Kings Canyon National Park. They had supplies to last them through Friday, according to the Fresno County sheriff's office.

They were reported missing to authorities on Tuesday, two days after the group missed a rendezvous with a third guide. That guide had separated from the group Sunday to scout a possible climb and when he returned to the pre-arranged meeting point, the group wasn't there, Mushovic said.

The guide, who was in possession of the group's only satellite phone, called Outward Bound officials for help, Mushovic said.

Three people immediately set out to search for the group, then on Tuesday called Fresno officials and parents of the children, he said. The organization also called parents of children in other groups on nearby wilderness adventures.

"We're conservative in our approach," Mushovic said in explaining the search tactic. "It's not common, but it's not unheard of, for a group to get disoriented or lost for some period of time. They've always turned up. It's the reason we did our own search for a couple of days."

On Wednesday, more than 35 search and rescue deputies from the Fresno County sheriff's office began searching a 90-square-mile area near Courtright Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest by vehicle, on horseback and from the air.

One of the adult instructors called Outward Bound at 2:05 p.m. PDT after the group emerged 10 to 15 miles outside of the search area at the Florence Lake Store near the midpoint of the John Muir portion of the Pacific Crest Trial, about three hours east of Fresno.

"Obviously, we're all very happy," Mushovic said.

The teens were part of Outward Bound's Sierra Rock Climbing Expedition, a $1,795 back country trek to the Courtright Reservoir on the Sierra western slope and into steep terrain made up of radical granite faces.

The area near where the group set out on the Maxon Trailhead contains domes and steep slab and face routes rising from the water, according to the Outward Bound Web site. Rock climbing web sites compare the Southern Sierra terrain and the dozen or so domes to Yosemite's Tulomne Meadows.

Fresno County searchers said their work was made more difficult because the group kept moving.

"What we would like them to do is stay still so we can find them," said sheriff's spokesman Christian Curtice. "The problem in situations like this is that people move."

The teens, ages 13 to 16, and their two 30-year-old guides turned up at a remote camp store several miles outside the search area, said Brad Mushovic, executive director of wilderness programs at Outward Bound, the nonprofit group that organized the expedition.

The hikers had last been seen on Sunday.

"We're happy to see such a positive outcome," Mushovic said. He reported no injuries.

The hikers were on the tail end of a two-week backpacking and rock-climbing trip in the Sierra National Forest about 10 miles west of Kings Canyon National Park. They had supplies to last them through Friday, according to the Fresno County sheriff's office.

They were reported missing to authorities on Tuesday, two days after the group missed a rendezvous with a third guide. That guide had separated from the group Sunday to scout a possible climb and when he returned to the pre-arranged meeting point, the group wasn't there, Mushovic said.

The guide, who was in possession of the group's only satellite phone, called Outward Bound officials for help, Mushovic said.

Three people immediately set out to search for the group, then on Tuesday called Fresno officials and parents of the children, he said. The organization also called parents of children in other groups on nearby wilderness adventures.

"We're conservative in our approach," Mushovic said in explaining the search tactic. "It's not common, but it's not unheard of, for a group to get disoriented or lost for some period of time. They've always turned up. It's the reason we did our own search for a couple of days."

On Wednesday, more than 35 search and rescue deputies from the Fresno County sheriff's office began searching a 90-square-mile area near Courtright Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest by vehicle, on horseback and from the air.

One of the adult instructors called Outward Bound at 2:05 p.m. PDT after the group emerged 10 to 15 miles outside of the search area at the Florence Lake Store near the midpoint of the John Muir portion of the Pacific Crest Trial, about three hours east of Fresno.

"Obviously, we're all very happy," Mushovic said.

The teens were part of Outward Bound's Sierra Rock Climbing Expedition, a $1,795 back country trek to the Courtright Reservoir on the Sierra western slope and into steep terrain made up of radical granite faces.

The area near where the group set out on the Maxon Trailhead contains domes and steep slab and face routes rising from the water, according to the Outward Bound Web site. Rock climbing web sites compare the Southern Sierra terrain and the dozen or so domes to Yosemite's Tulomne Meadows.

Fresno County searchers said their work was made more difficult because the group kept moving.

"What we would like them to do is stay still so we can find them," said sheriff's spokesman Christian Curtice. "The problem in situations like this is that people move."