ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Ground and air crews were searching nearly 100 square miles of Denali National Park on Monday for two women missing on what was supposed to be a short backpacking trip.

Searchers with dogs were to arrive Monday to help look for Abby Flantz, 25, of Gaylord, Minn., and Erica Nelson, 23, of Las Vegas. They were reported overdue Saturday when they did not show up for work at a hotel outside the park.

The women were last seen Thursday at the Savage River check station about 15 miles from park headquarters; they had planned to return Friday.

“Our concern with these young women is, they were only going to go in for one night,” said park spokeswoman Kris Fister. “They wouldn’t have gone in that far.”

The area being searched consists of rugged terrain without trails ranging in elevation from approximately 2,000 feet to 6,000 feet. The two women are experienced trail hikers but had limited experience with Alaska backcountry conditions, Fister said.

Searchers have focused on camping areas and travel routes on Mount Healy and in the adjacent Primrose Ridge backcountry unit.

Crews in two helicopters and a fixed wing aircraft have been searching for the women since Saturday. Teams of ground searchers Sunday checked heavily wooded and vegetated sections that could not be searched effectively from the air.

About 40 people assisted with the search Sunday.

Temperatures have been mostly typical of the season, with daytime highs in the 60s and nighttime lows in the 40s.

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On the Net:

Denali National Park and Preserve: http://www.nps.gov/dena/

AP-ES-06-16-08 1611EDT