On October 28, search and rescue teams located the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. The students were enrolled at Colorado Mountain College and had set out from the Leadville campus on October 23 with plans to climb Ice Mountain, a peak standing at 13,960 feet. They were reported missing on October 26 after failing to return by their expected dates of October 24 or 25.
Ice Mountain, along with West Apostle and North Apostle, forms the Three Apostles, a trio of rugged peaks in the Sawatch Range within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness northwest of Buena Vista. While less famous than Colorado's 14,000-foot summits, these mountains attract climbers seeking more technical terrain and solitude. Dillon Geiger, owner of Ark Valley Mountain Guides, noted that these peaks are unusually rugged for the area, featuring steep gullies, loose rock, and couloirs. He explained that while elevation does not always dictate difficulty, the Three Apostles require advanced mountaineering skills due to their steep, rocky nature.
According to the 14ers.com database, the standard route up Ice Mountain involves scrambling over exposed rock with significant risks of rockfall and challenging route-finding. Geiger emphasized that the area is extremely remote, particularly in late October, where climbers might spend an entire day without encountering another person. Although experienced mountaineers can sometimes complete these climbs in a single day during favorable summer conditions, the environment changes drastically with winter weather.
The National Weather Service had forecast several inches of snow at higher elevations in the eastern Sawatch Mountains on October 24, the day after the students departed. Geiger warned that entering technical terrain when weather shifts to winter conditions can quickly become dangerous. Fresh snow can conceal loose rocks, while freezing and thawing cycles destabilize the rock face, increasing hazards and complicating navigation.
Both students were preparing for outdoor careers; Matsuda was training to be a wildland firefighter, and Donlon was studying to become a mountain guide. Following reports from college staff on October 26, deputies located Matsuda's vehicle near the Mount Huron trailhead outside Winfield. Searchers subsequently found their collapsed tent near Lake Ann but discovered no climbing equipment in the tent, vehicle, or dorm rooms, suggesting the gear had been taken on the climb.
The search operation was complicated by heavy snow and ice, with Ice Mountain receiving up to two feet of snow in some areas. Approximately 60 volunteers participated in the effort, supported by helicopters, drones, and search dogs. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office stated that foul play is not suspected and declined to offer theories regarding the cause of death until an autopsy is completed. The agency is currently working with the Chaffee County Coroner's Office to investigate the incident.
Sources: Outside.