Two Colorado College Students Found Dead on West Apostle Mountain After Multi-Day Search Following Ice Mountain Trek

Two outdoorsmen and Colorado Mountain College students who vanished during an alpine trek have been found dead in a remote mountain basin. Authorities recovered the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, in Chaffee County following an extensive multi-day search operation.

The tragedy unfolded after the pair departed campus on October 23 heading toward Colorado’s rugged Ice Mountain. When three days passed without word from either hiker, family members raised the alarm, prompting emergency crews to initiate a search near the trailhead where Matsuda’s vehicle remained parked.

Deputies and search crews scoured the backcountry until locating both men lying near one another in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. While investigators confirmed that foul play is not suspected, the loss has devastated the mountain community where both young men were pursuing careers centered on the natural world.

Inside the Search Across Chaffee County

Matsuda and Donlon set out as experienced hikers who planned their route toward Ice Mountain carefully. However, when communication cut off and the hikers failed to return on schedule, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office launched ground operations.

Deputies quickly tracked Matsuda’s vehicle to the trailhead, confirming the students had entered the backcountry as planned. Search teams focused their efforts along challenging high-altitude terrain before pinpointing the site on October 28 at roughly 3:30 p.m. local time.

Recovery operations concluded the following day when authorities retrieved both bodies from the mountain basin. Officials noted that formal autopsies would determine the precise cause of death.

“Foul play is not suspected, and we will not offer theories as to what may have happened until an autopsy can be completed,” the sheriff’s office stated.

Remembering Two Promising Lives

Matsuda, from Ridgway, Colorado, was enrolled in the wildland firefighting program after completing community service work following high school. Faculty and classmates described him as a natural connector who welcomed others with warmth and respect.

Donlon journeyed from New York to Colorado to study outdoor recreation leadership, drawn by a deep love for alpine peaks. His adventures had already taken him across the Tetons, the Gore Range, and the high country surrounding Leadville.

A Shared Passion for the Backcountry

Despite growing up across the country from each other, Matsuda and Donlon bonded instantly through their shared drive for exploration. Campus leaders emphasized that their time at the college was defined by ambition, kindness, and deep camaraderie.

“We will remember them not for how we lost them, but for who they were and the lives they touched,” said Ben Cairns, campus dean and vice president at Colorado Mountain College.

Backcountry Realities and Risk Perception

A widespread misconception among casual observers is that fatal mountain incidents only occur when participants lack proper preparation or skill. Yet, experienced outdoorsmen often face sudden, unpredictable environmental hazards that preparation alone cannot eliminate.

Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich addressed this tension directly, praising the precautions the two young men took while reminding the public that wild spaces carry inherent unpredictability.

• Preparation does not guarantee total immunity: Even highly capable climbers encounter acute alpine risks.
• Perspective on outdoor activity: Daily tasks like highway driving statistically present higher accident rates than backcountry travel.
• Community resilience: Local officials urged visitors not to let tragic outcomes discourage responsible exploration.

“Our team is blessed to have gotten to know Kaden and Jackson through those that love them and there is no doubt the world lost two wonderful young men,” Sheriff Rohrich stated. “We are proud of the steps they took to be prepared. It truly is a tragedy.”

Colorado Mountain College has made counseling and mental health resources available across campus to assist classmates and staff navigating the loss.

💬 The outdoor community continues to mourn the loss of two talented young men whose lives were shaped by the peaks they loved.

✨ Leave your condolences and share your thoughts in the comments below as friends and family remember their remarkable impact.

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