Man Stranded at 8,000 Feet Safely Rescued

IDYLLWILD - A hiker who became stranded on an iced-over mountain peak in Idyllwild and had to be helped down by rescuers was recovering today from his ordeal.

The hiker, whose identity was not released, was attempting to descend from the 8,000-foot Tahquitz Peak when he ran into trouble about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Sgt. Ken Ditton said the man was unable to thread his way around ice covering the mountain and called 911. The county's Mountain Rescue Unit was activated, and searchers went looking for the hiker, locating him about five hours late...