A pair of stranded skiers spent a frigid night on Cypress cursing themselves for going out of bounds before crews were finally able to save them Monday morning.

Brian Parsons, one of the two rescued men, said they had a long, cold and lonely night after making the thrill-seeking decision to leave the piste Sunday afternoon.

"My friend said he knew where he was going. He said there was going to be nice snow," Parsons told reporters the next day after being pulled off the mountain.

Unfortunately, the duo found a lot more fresh powder than they were anticipating. After intentionally going under the ropes, they were hit by an avalanche that slid them deep into Tony Baker Gulley.

North Shore Rescue was able to pinpoint their location the same night, but couldn't send crews in because of the high risk of further avalanches in the area.

That gave the skiers several hours to think about their choices.

"We felt really stupid," Parsons said. "We dug out a little cave, set up our skis as benches, then every hour or so we did about an hour's worth of exercise. Then went back up, tried to nap or relax, keep warm, cursed each other about how stupid we are."

Rescue crews took great care of the skiers, Parson added, sending text messages and keeping them abreast of any developments.

Finally, a rescue operation with helicopter support lifted off around 7:30 a.m., and crews managed to carry the stranded duo off Cypress with the help of long-lines.

"We really had our fingers crossed for these guys that they would survive the night. Fortunately, they did," search manager Mike Danks of North Shore Rescue said. "It was a real relief but I think this is a real example of what can happen when you go out of bounds."

Parsons thanked the crew before heading home to his wife and six-month-old daughter. The other skier declined to speak with reporters.

North Shore Rescue is once again reminding people to be aware of the high avalanche danger in the mountains, and asking skiers to stay in-bounds on trails at local ski resorts.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Shannon Paterson