Nicolas Stacy-Alcantara, 17, says his hike last week didn't go as planned.
Trudging through deep snow in below-freezing temperatures, Nico realized he would be stranded in the cold overnight.
That's when he started writing letters to his family to say goodbye.
"I pray you guys find happiness after I'm gone," Stacy-Alcantara said. "Just that, I love you guys, you never did anything wrong. Don't blame this on yourself. This was a dumb mistake in the first place."
He spent the night in a snow-fort cave and said his feet and hands began to go numb.
The next morning, the Fresno teen was rescued and reunited with his family.
He has spent the last week at the University of Utah hospital, receiving treatment for hypothermia.