Tragic End to Search as Bodies of Two Colorado Mountain College Students Found Near Ice Mountain

BUENA VISTA, Colo. — Following an intensive multi-day search hampered by heavy snow, high-altitude winds, and treacherous terrain, authorities confirmed the recovery of two missing Colorado Mountain College students in a remote alpine basin of the Sawatch Range. The discovery brings a heartbreaking conclusion to an emergency response that mobilized dozens of mountain rescue personnel, aircraft, and tracking dogs in Colorado’s backcountry.

On October 28, rescue teams searching the rugged high country near West Apostle Mountain located the bodies of 19-year-old Kaden Matsuda and 20-year-old Jackson Donlon. The two young men, both enrolled at the Leadville campus of Colorado Mountain College, had set out days earlier with ambitions of conquering a demanding local peak, only to encounter rapidly deteriorating weather conditions that transformed a challenging mountaineering expedition into a fatal ordeal.

According to information released by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Matsuda and Donlon had departed from their college campus on October 23. Friends of the students later informed investigators that the pair intended to climb Ice Mountain, a formidable 13,960-foot peak located within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness northwest of Buena Vista. Based on their itinerary and weather forecasts, the students planned to return to campus by October 24 or 25, depending on how conditions unfolded in the high country. When they failed to return and missed scheduled classes, concern mounted, prompting formal reports of their disappearance on October 26.

The initial phase of the search moved quickly once friends pointed investigators toward the students’ likely destination. Deputies from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office soon located Matsuda’s vehicle parked near the Mount Huron trailhead outside the historic mining town of Winfield. Expanding their search grid into the surrounding backcountry, ground crews eventually discovered a collapsed tent belonging to the students near Lake Ann, situated in the shadow of the Collegiate Peaks. A search of the tent, along with checks of the students’ vehicle and campus dorm rooms, revealed no climbing equipment left behind, leading officials to deduce that the pair had packed their essential gear and carried it with them onto the mountain.

Ice Mountain, alongside neighboring West Apostle and North Apostle, forms a striking and rugged cluster of peaks known collectively as the Three Apostles. While Colorado’s numerous "14ers"—mountains exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation—frequently capture the public imagination and draw heavy crowds, the state’s impressive collection of "13ers" often offers an entirely different caliber of challenge.

Dillon Geiger, owner and chief guide at Buena Vista-based Ark Valley Mountain Guides, noted that peaks like the Three Apostles attract experienced climbers precisely because they diverge from the standard, heavily trafficked routes found on more famous fourteeners. Geiger, an American Mountain Guides Association-credentialed professional with more than a decade of alpine guiding and instruction experience throughout the Sawatch Range, explained the unique appeal and hazards of the area.

"That’s the allure of doing peaks that aren’t 14,000 feet," Geiger said. "They’re less popular, they’re more remote, and they’re more technical."

Geiger described the Three Apostles as exceptionally rugged terrain marked by steep gullies, loose rock fields, and deep couloirs. Among these features is Ice Mountain’s infamous Refrigerator Couloir, a steep corridor widely recognized by backcountry skiers and advanced mountaineers. While elevation alone does not always dictate technical difficulty, the routes scaling the Three Apostles demand advanced mountaineering competencies, precise route-finding, and a high degree of comfort with exposure.

According to data compiled by the mountaineering resource 14ers.com, the standard route up the northeast ridge of Ice Mountain requires sustained scrambling, forcing climbers to use their hands actively to navigate steep, exposed rock sections. The route profile also warns of substantial rockfall hazards and complex navigation that can easily disorient even well-prepared parties, particularly when compounded by bushwhacking through lower approach zones.

Even during favorable summer windows, climbers tackling the Three Apostles can find themselves completely isolated. In late October, that isolation becomes absolute. Geiger noted that a visitor venturing into this sector of the Sawatch Range late in the autumn season could easily spend an entire day traversing the basin without encountering another human being.

"They’re certainly some of the most remote sections of the Sawatch Mountains," Geiger observed. "It’s an extremely remote area, and this time of year, it wouldn’t be uncommon to not come across anyone else."

While elite mountaineers can sometimes complete ascents in the area as single-day pushes during optimal summer weather, many parties opt to backpack into the high alpine basins and establish base camps for morning summit bids. However, undertaking such an objective in late October exposes climbers to the volatile nature of Colorado’s transition seasons, where autumn calm can instantly fracture into severe winter storms.

Weather Complicates High-Country Conditions

The margin for error in the high country narrowed dramatically shortly after Matsuda and Donlon began their trek. The National Weather Service recorded forecasts calling for several inches of fresh snow at higher elevations across the eastern Sawatch Mountains on October 24, exactly one day after the students left campus. In Colorado’s alpine environments, sudden weather shifts routinely elevate technical routes from difficult to perilous.

"When you step into technical terrain and the weather changes, especially winter weather conditions, it gets bad fast," Geiger said.

Fresh accumulations of snow present a multifaceted hazard to climbers. Not only do blankets of powder obscure vital footholds and handholds, but they also conceal loose talus and scree that can easily shift under a climber’s weight. Furthermore, the persistent cycle of freezing and thawing at high altitudes destabilizes surrounding rock faces, intensifying the risk of unexpected rockfall and making the critical task of route-finding exceedingly difficult.

The subsequent search operations reflected the severity of these environmental factors. As rescue coordinators mobilized, heavy snow and ice descended upon the search area, dropping up to two feet of fresh accumulation on Ice Mountain and creating wind-driven drifts up to four feet deep in isolated pockets.

Despite the bitter cold and hazardous travel conditions, approximately 60 search-and-rescue volunteers deployed to the field. Their efforts were augmented by specialized aerial assets, including helicopters and drones, as well as trained search dogs working tirelessly across the alpine basin.

A Community in Mourning

Beyond their shared passion for the mountains, both Matsuda and Donlon were actively pursuing professional futures centered on the outdoors. Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich shared in an update that Matsuda had been studying to become a wildland firefighter, while Donlon was training to build a career as a professional mountain guide. Their aspirations reflected a deep dedication to stewardship, safety, and service within natural environments.

The loss has reverberated deeply throughout the academic community at Colorado Mountain College. In a formal statement provided to regional media outlets, college administration expressed profound grief over the tragedy.

"We are devastated by the loss of Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon, two members of our Colorado Mountain College community," the college stated.

As investigators piece together the final timeline of the students’ journey, authorities have emphasized that foul play has been entirely ruled out. Officials from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office stated that they will not speculate on the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal outcome until comprehensive autopsies can be concluded. The sheriff’s office is currently collaborating closely with the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office to finalize the official investigation into the deaths of the two young mountaineers.