COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Searchers continued to comb the Ferguson Canyon area Monday, on the ground and from the air, four days after a Saratoga Springs man was last heard from while hiking there.

Benjamin Kritzer, 28, last texted a photo of a wildflower to a family member Thursday morning, but never texted his loved ones to let them know he got back from his hike safely, as he usually does, said Unified police detective Ken Hansen.

Kritzer's parents drove from North Carolina, arriving Sunday to help police with the search. On Monday, search dogs joined Unified police officers on the mountainside.

Police planned to expose those dogs to some of Kritzer's clothing in hopes that it will help them pick up his scent, Hansen said.

"Then the detectives will take (Kritzer's) laptop computer to see if there's any maps or any places that he likes to take pictures from ... how he hikes, where he hikes, where he likes to go and try to look in those areas that maybe (are) identified," he said.

The search was still considered a rescue operation and not a recovery, Hansen said.

The Utah Department of Public Safety's helicopter was used, but snow on the ground was hurting efforts to locate Kritzer, he said.

"The storm Saturday really changed things," Hansen said. "It makes it more difficult for the drones and the helicopter, just because from the air ... you can't tell a difference between a rock or an animal or anything that might be covered by snow."

Kritzer's cellphone is believed to be dead, further setting back the search.

The effort was called off 8 p.m. Monday, with plans to resume Tuesday morning, Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said.

Kritzer's vehicle was located Saturday at the trailhead of Ferguson Canyon, located between Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. He is known to go on frequent day hikes and his excursion Thursday was believed to be meant to last less than a day, according to police.

Family members began their long drive from North Carolina when Kritzer didn't show up for work Friday at an Orem auto shop, according to his brother, Zach Kritzer.

Zach Kritzer said over the weekend that the family has hope they will find his brother alive.

Contributing: Paul Nelson, Sean Moody