WAKE COUNTY -- The Wake County school teacher who went missing during a hike on a California mountain is now glad to be home. The Apex woman says there were times she feared the worst, but knew she had to make it home for her children.

“I clung on to them,” said Patti Giamoni, 37, of her children. “I basically clung to them and wouldn't let them go.”

The mother landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Thursday, happy to be home after her trip to Misery Hill. “We were really excited because we were hitting Misery Hill, and once we got to Misery Hill we knew that we’d made it,” she said. “The winds were just overwhelming, and that’s what got us.”

The storm caught the first-time hiker and her hiking partner – 41-year-old Salvador Frias – off guard. The two were at 14,000 feet on Mount Shasta when the weather threw them off course.

The couple was only supposed to be on Mount Shasta for one day on June 20, but it lasted much longer. During that time, water became an issue.

After trying to call for help, the two started hiking down while thick smoke from nearby wildfires made searching for the couple difficult. Meanwhile, Giamoni’s children were at home waiting for news. They finally got a call early Tuesday morning.

Giamoni said it cost the state of California $3 million for the search and rescue effort. She says she has planned another trip to California for August, but this time her sons are going and there won’t be any hiking.