About 60 federal, state and county law enforcement officers dismantled a large marijuana-growing operation in the Wasatch Mountains on Wednesday afternoon, digging up and ferrying out thousands of plants by helicopter.

In all, about 7,000 plants were confiscated. Wasatch County sheriff's Lt. John Rogers said that total could increase after a more thorough search.

Rogers said officers began raiding the farm Tuesday night.

Officers surrounded the site, in the Snake Creek Canyon area south of Wasatch Mountain State Park's golf course, about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Two males had been spotted in the area Sunday.

"Something spooked them, though, and they took off running," Rogers said. Despite the use of a helicopter and dozens of officers, the pair eluded capture on the rugged, heavily forested slopes.

"This was the roughest, meanest mountain terrain a lot of the officers had ever been on. We just lost sight of these guys, and they got away," Rogers said, adding that detectives continue to follow leads in the case.

Wasatch deputies were alerted to the operation several weeks ago when a hiker spotted black irrigation pipes in a stream.

"That seemed suspicious to him, so he came in and told us about it," Rogers said.

During the past two weeks, deputies kept watch on the area, first spotting one man — and then two — traveling to and from the site.

Descriptions of the men weren't available because officers never got a close look at them, Rogers said.

"Today's operation is taking all of the tubing and marijuana out via helicopter, one load at a time," he said.

Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Department of Public Safety, Wasatch and Summit county sheriff's offices, Park City police, Wasatch Back Narcotics Enforcement Team, U.S. Forest Service and Utah State Parks assisted in the effort.