Two Colorado Mountain College Students Found Dead After Mountain Hike
Two students from Colorado Mountain College, Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, from New York, were found dead on Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain, according to the Chaffee County sheriff's office, which announced the discovery in a statement posted on social media. The men were located at about 3:30 p.m. on October 28, 2026, and the site is about 100 miles south-east of Aspen.
The two left the college's Leadville campus on Friday and told family and friends they planned to hike Ice Mountain, a peak of nearly 14,000 feet near West Apostle Mountain that requires technical climbing, a form of mountaineering that demands specialised skills. They were expected back by Sunday. College staff reported them missing on Monday morning, and the search lasted three days before their bodies were found.
About 60 search and rescue volunteers took part, aided by helicopters, drones and dogs. On Tuesday, a helicopter crew spotted a tent collapsed under snow near a lake north-west of Ice Mountain. Inside were sleeping bags, a stove and clothing. Officials said the tent's position suggested the two were aiming for West Apostle Mountain, which rises to 13,597 feet.
Investigators also noted that the men's climbing equipment was not in their dorms, their tent or their vehicle. Trash inside the tent indicated they had eaten before starting the hike.
The causes of death are under investigation. Authorities said foul play, meaning criminal wrongdoing, was not suspected. Officials had also expressed concern that aerial searches could be limited later in the week because poor weather was expected to begin on Friday.
Matsuda had been studying to become a wildland firefighter, someone who fights fires in forests and grasslands. Donlon had been studying to become a mountain guide, a professional who leads people on climbs and treks.
