SEATTLE - Two teens whose backs were broken in an ice cave collapse may walk out of the hospital in a few days.

It's a happier ending than many people thought possible during the frantic five-hour rescue of Alec Corbett, 17, and Alessandro Gelmini, 14, on Thursday.

Both of them were crushed when they stepped inside an ice cave off the Denny Creek trail near Snoqualmie Pass for a quick photo, and it crashed in on top of them with a loud crash.

Both were buried under tons of ice for five frantic hours as emergency workers carved through the shattered snowpack for the two teens.

For one of the teens crushed underneath, the hours are moments defined by terror and the joy of rescue.

"He just had high points he remembered - he didn't have a concept of how long he was under there," said Alec's father, Brian Corbett. And there are moments he doesn't want to remember now.

"We were talking about getting him a little recorder so he could talk about what he remembers, and ... ahhh ... he doesn't want to go there," Alec's father said.

Both Alec and his friend Alessandro broke their backs and badly damaged their ankles.

Alec's father says the surgeries are done for now. His son began physical therapy on sunday at Harborview Medical Center, and Alessandro isn't far behind.

"I think Alec is out of the woods, and Allesandro, I think, he's at the edge of the woods," says Alec's father.

And when they leave Harborview, he says, they'll do it standing up.

"Sounds like they might be able to walk out of here ... Allesandro the end of next week ... and Alec the end of this week."

Alessandro still needs another surgery to repair broken ankles, but both teens are expected to recover.