YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) -- A fierce early blizzard caught visitors throughout the

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) -- A fierce early blizzard caught visitors throughout the Central Sierra off-guard, killing two Japanese climbers in Yosemite National Park and stranding several backpackers.
As the storm began to clear Wednesday, a helicopter crew took off and spotted the climbers dangling lifeless about two-thirds of the way up the 3,200-foot face, said park ranger Deb Schweizer.
"They weren't moving," she said. "They didn't seem well-equipped."
Rangers expected to be able to retrieve the bodies today.
Other climbers
The Japanese men were among seven people on the famous El Capitan climbing wall when the brunt of the storm hit on Tuesday, Schweizer said. A solo climber was rescued Wednesday, while rangers reached a man and a woman but would remain with them on the face overnight, Schweizer said.
The other climbers asked for extra supplies and were not considered in danger by rangers.
"It's very miserable conditions," Schweizer said. "It was something up here."
Elsewhere in the Sierra, rescuers pummeled by heavy snow and strong winds struggled to reach several groups of backpackers who were caught in the fierce and persistent storm.
The blizzard raged at higher elevations through much of the day, frustrating rescuers who labored against 4-foot-deep snow and 50 mph wind gusts to reach the areas where the hikers were thought to be.