( CNN ) -- Three experienced hikers were rescued from California 's Mount Whitney , but a father and son in a separate group are missing , the National Park Service said . Battling heavy snow , rescue personnel and a California National Guard helicopter reached the three men around noon ( 3 p.m . ET ) Thursday . The men were part of a group of 10 hikers who set out on their journey up the mountain on Monday . About 45 people looked for the three hikers -- Phillip Michael Abraham , 34 ; Dale Clymens , 45 , and Stevan James Filips , 45 -- the National Park Service said in a statement . All three were able to walk and move during a general health assessment . Two other hikers on a 36-mile cross-country loop were supposed to return Tuesday . They are Sinh Baghsohi , 27 , and his father , whose first name is unknown , park officials said . Both men are originally from Iran , but their current residences are not known . The younger Baghsohi is 6 feet , 5 inches tall and weighs about 287 pounds . His father is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds . They had hiked in with a friend , who became ill and hiked out , the park service said . Dave Paladino , an Omaha , Nebraska , resident and leader of the larger group , said extreme weather dumped up to three feet of snow and drastically lowered visibility in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks . The group of 10 hikers shared a love of climbing , outdoor activities and adventure , Paladino said . They set out on their hike shortly after 4 a.m. Monday in several sub-groups , including one led by Paladino and another including all three missing hikers . `` Every single one had been training for this event for years , '' said Paladino . The snow began for Paladino 's group when they reached 10,000 feet up what he called the `` 10-mile hill , '' and picked up significantly as they went up another 2,000 feet . His group reached the summit around 3:30 p.m. Monday , staying briefly at a shelter there before going back down the mountain . The climb back down was much more difficult than expected , according to Paladino , due to the heavy snow . `` It was by far the hardest thing we 've ever done , '' said Paladino , who said he has climbed Mount Rainier in Washington state , among other peaks . At one point , his group met and talked briefly with the climbers who later went missing . Abraham later sent several texts , the last of which was between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday in which they said they could n't find the trail because of the snow and were heading to the summit shelter . The three climbers did not have snow shoes , said Paladino . However , they likely had enough food and water to last several days , he said . Temperatures near the mountain 's peak were in the 20s , Paladino added , not low enough to make frostbite a major concern . A rescue operation involving two hikers was begun and aborted Wednesday because of the snow . On Thursday morning , `` bigger and more experienced teams '' were brought in , said Paladino . `` We wanted to do this , '' said Paladino . `` These guys were doing what they loved , and we 'll continue to do what we love . ''
three hikers still missing are from a separate group on Mount Whitney . Missing are father and son , originally from California . Found men started hike years before being hit by heavy snows and low visibility . All Two were able to walk and move during a general health assessment .