Two college students from Colorado Mountain College Leadville were found dead Wednesday afternoon on West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County after disappearing during a weekend hiking trip that turned deadly when unexpected snowfall trapped them in the backcountry.
Search Ends in Tragedy
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, departed their campus Friday for what they planned as a challenging climb up Ice Mountain in the northern reaches of Chaffee County. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office announced the grim discovery early Thursday morning, stating that foul play is not suspected. Officials confirmed they will await autopsy results before determining what caused the deaths of these two young men.
College staff reported the students missing Monday after they failed to return from their expedition. Friends and family told investigators the pair were experienced hikers who should have carried proper gear for mountain conditions. The men had planned to return Saturday if conditions seemed unsafe, or Sunday if they proceeded with their full route to Ice Mountain, located southeast of Aspen in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Read more: abcnews.link/exzcWcU
Weather Turns Deadly
Search teams discovered Matsuda’s vehicle at the trailhead with approximately eight inches of snow on top but none underneath, indicating the car had been parked before the storm arrived. Weather records showed rain falling Friday in the area, transitioning to snow Saturday afternoon. The mountain ultimately received one to two feet of snow, with drifts reaching three to four feet in some locations.
Rescue helicopters spotted an object near Lake Ann on Tuesday. Ground teams hiking to the location found the students’ collapsed tent, crushed under heavy snow accumulation. Inside were sleeping bags, a camping stove, and clothing, but no sign of the young men. The absence of footprints in the snow suggested the tent had been set up before the snowfall began. Phone forensics revealed their devices had been inactive for 48 hours, though officials noted cell service in that remote area is nearly nonexistent.
Technical Terrain Demands Respect
Authorities described Ice Mountain as a very technical climb requiring significant experience even in dry conditions. The unexpected snowstorm transformed an already challenging route into treacherous terrain. Colorado Mountain College confirmed that faculty members with specialized mountain rescue training joined the search efforts, while staff provided support services to grieving students on campus. This tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that mountain weather in Colorado can change rapidly, turning a routine expedition into a life-threatening emergency within hours. Even experienced outdoorsmen must respect the power of nature and the unforgiving conditions that can develop in high-altitude environments.