Tragedy in the Collegiate Peaks: Two Colorado Mountain College Students Found Dead After Rugged Alpine Attempt.

On October 28, 2026, a multi-day search and rescue operation in one of Colorado’s most formidable wilderness areas reached a somber conclusion when rescuers located the bodies of two missing Colorado Mountain College students. The victims, identified as 19-year-old Kaden Matsuda and 20-year-old Jackson Donlon, were discovered in a high-altitude basin on West Apostle Mountain, a remote and jagged peak situated within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, northwest of the town of Buena Vista. The discovery followed an intensive search effort that was hampered by early winter storms, heavy snow accumulation, and the inherently treacherous terrain of the Sawatch Range.

The two young men, who were both students at the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Leadville campus, had set out on October 23 with the intention of summiting Ice Mountain, a 13,960-foot peak known for its technical difficulty and imposing presence. According to reports from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the pair had planned to return by October 24 or 25, depending on the prevailing weather and mountain conditions. When they failed to reappear at the college or contact friends by October 26, college officials alerted authorities, sparking a massive mobilization of search and rescue resources.

Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon were not casual hikers; they were dedicated outdoor enthusiasts pursuing careers deeply rooted in the natural world. Matsuda was enrolled in programs aimed at becoming a wildland firefighter, a role requiring immense physical stamina and an understanding of rugged landscapes. Donlon was training to become a professional mountain guide, a career path that demands high-level technical proficiency and risk management skills. Their choice of Ice Mountain as a destination reflected their experience and their desire to engage with the more demanding aspects of Colorado’s high country.

Ice Mountain, along with West Apostle and North Apostle, forms a trio of peaks known as the "Three Apostles." While none of these peaks reach the 14,000-foot mark that defines Colorado’s famous "14ers," they are regarded by the mountaineering community as significantly more challenging than many of their taller neighbors. The Sawatch Range is home to some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert and Mount Harvard, but the Three Apostles stand out for their ruggedness and technical requirements.

Dillon Geiger, the owner and chief guide at Buena Vista-based Ark Valley Mountain Guides, notes that the allure of these "13ers" lies precisely in their difficulty and seclusion. Geiger, an American Mountain Guides Association-credentialed expert with over a decade of experience in the Sawatch Range, explained that while 14ers attract thousands of hikers due to their status and often well-maintained trails, 13ers like the Apostles offer a more "pure" mountaineering experience. They are less popular, more remote, and require a higher degree of technical skill, including the ability to navigate loose rock, steep gullies, and complex route-finding.

The standard route up Ice Mountain, as detailed by the mountaineering database 14ers.com, involves "scrambling"—a style of climbing that falls between hiking and technical rock climbing. Climbers must frequently use their hands to pull themselves over steep, exposed rock sections. The peak is notorious for its "rotten" rock—geological formations that are unstable and prone to breaking away under a climber’s weight. This risk is compounded by the "Refrigerator Couloir," a steep, narrow gully on the mountain’s north side that is famous among backcountry skiers but presents significant hazards to climbers due to rockfall and ice.

The timing of the students’ expedition placed them in the "shoulder season," a notoriously dangerous period in the Colorado mountains when autumn transitions into winter. On October 24, the day after Matsuda and Donlon departed, the National Weather Service issued forecasts for several inches of snow at higher elevations. In the high alpine environment of the Collegiate Peaks, weather can shift with lethal speed. What begins as a light dusting of snow at lower elevations can manifest as a blinding blizzard with sub-zero wind chills above the tree line.

Geiger emphasized that early-season snow creates a specific set of hazards for climbers. Fresh powder can act as a "blanket," concealing loose rocks and slick ice. "When you step into technical terrain and the weather changes, especially winter weather conditions, it gets bad fast," Geiger remarked. The freeze-thaw cycle typical of late October further destabilizes the mountainside, as water enters cracks in the rock, freezes, expands, and shatters the stone from within. This process increases the likelihood of spontaneous rockfall, a primary danger on the Three Apostles.

The search for the missing students began in earnest on October 26. Chaffee County Sheriff’s deputies first located Matsuda’s vehicle at the Mount Huron trailhead near the ghost town of Winfield, a common jumping-off point for deep-wilderness excursions. As the search expanded, ground teams discovered the pair’s tent near Lake Ann, a high-altitude alpine lake nestled in the basin below the Apostles. The tent was found collapsed under the weight of recent snow, but notably, it contained no climbing equipment. This led investigators to conclude that the students were likely on the mountain, carrying their ropes, harnesses, and hardware, when the storm intensified.

The search operation was a monumental undertaking, involving approximately 60 volunteers from multiple agencies, including Chaffee County Search and Rescue, and was supported by aerial assets. High-altitude drones and helicopters from the Colorado National Guard’s High-Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site (HAATS) were deployed to scan the vertical faces of the mountains. However, the weather continued to pose a challenge; Ice Mountain received up to two feet of fresh snow during the search window, with drifts reaching four feet in some of the more sheltered gullies and basins.

On October 28, searchers spotted the bodies in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. The location suggested that the pair may have been attempting to navigate between the peaks or were perhaps forced off their intended route by the deteriorating conditions. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office has stated that foul play is not suspected, though they have refrained from offering specific theories on the cause of death—whether it was a fall, an avalanche, or exposure—until the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office completes a full autopsy.

The loss of Matsuda and Donlon has sent shockwaves through the Colorado Mountain College community, particularly at the Leadville campus, which is the highest-elevation college campus in North America. The school is known for its robust outdoor studies and emergency medical services programs, attracting students who are passionate about the wilderness. In a statement provided to KKTV, college officials expressed their profound devastation, describing the two men as valued members of a tight-knit community bound by a shared love for the mountains.

This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks of high-altitude mountaineering, even for those with training and preparation. The Sawatch Range, while beautiful, is a wilderness of extremes. For climbers seeking the solitude of the 13ers, the margins for error are razor-thin. The "Three Apostles" remain some of the most remote sections of the range, where a climber can spend an entire day without seeing another human soul. While this solitude is what many seek, it also means that when accidents occur, help is often hours or days away.

As the investigation continues, the mountaineering community in Colorado is mourning two of its own. The story of Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon is a testament to the adventurous spirit that defines the American West, but it is also a cautionary tale about the power of the natural world. The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, with its soaring summits and deep, snow-filled basins, remains a place of both immense beauty and indifferent danger, where the transition of seasons can turn a challenging climb into a fight for survival. For now, the focus remains on supporting the families of the deceased and the student body at Colorado Mountain College as they navigate this profound loss.