ESTES PARK, Colo. -- Search crews have found a missing Maryland man who had been stranded in the high country near Estes Park for two days.

Investigators say that 53-year old Patrick Higgins was in Colorado attending a Boulder Men's Alliance leadership seminar.

"Part of the seminar involved going on a solo hike," said Justin Whitesell of the Emergency Services branch of the Larimer County Sheriff Office. "On that solo hike, they go out and do a little soul searching is what I've been told."

Whitesell said the participants all agreed to meet up afterwards, but Higgins failed to show.

Authorities were not notified until Wednesday.

Search crews then combed the rugged terrain near Estes Park on foot, on ATVs and in the air. They even called in the Colorado National Guard, which used a black hawk helicopter to search for the missing man.

Jarod Kouma of Larimer County Search and Rescue was one of the searchers who spent time on the ground.

"We were looking for any telltale signs," Kouma said. "We looked for food wrappers, we looked for tracks."

It was members of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol who first spotted Higgins frantically waving at the bottom of Hell's Canyon.

"He was dehydrated, hungry and a little bit tired," Whitesell said.

The missing hiker was prepared for his outing. Whitesell told 7NEWS that Higgins had water, rain gear, a map, compass and whistle.

At first, rescue crews tried to use the National Guard's helicopter to ferry Higgins out of the canyon, but there wasn't a safe place to land.

Ground crews then tried to help walk him out to the nearest road. That took time because of all the downed trees.

In all, 50 men and women were involved in the search, a search that ended successfully.

"These folks are the heroes," said Larimer County Sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella. "If I ever have a loved one in need of help up here, these are the folks I want handling it."