Search and rescue crews in Colorado are racing to locate two missing college students who disappeared during a weekend hiking trip to Ice Mountain in Chaffee County. A helicopter located their collapsed tent on Tuesday, October 27, but neither hiker was found.
The missing hikers have been identified as Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of New York. Both attend Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus and were reported missing Monday after failing to return from a trip that began Friday, October 23.
According to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the students planned to climb Ice Mountain, a technically challenging peak in northern Chaffee County. Friends told investigators the pair intended to return Saturday if conditions felt unsafe or Sunday if they continued toward the summit.
Search Teams Discover Collapsed Tent Near Lake Ann
Deputies located Matsuda’s vehicle near the Mount Huron trailhead after receiving the missing-person report. Approximately eight inches of snow covered the surrounding ground, although investigators noted there was no snow beneath the vehicle.
Conditions higher on the mountain were considerably worse. The sheriff’s office reported that Ice Mountain received between one and two feet of snow during a powerful storm Saturday afternoon, with drifting and accumulated snow reaching three to four feet in some locations.
Rain and freezing temperatures also left the mountain covered in ice, while snow concealed dangerous boulder fields that search crews would need to cross to reach higher terrain. Authorities said the conditions made ground searches extremely hazardous, and the mountain offered no suitable helicopter landing locations.
On Tuesday, approximately 50 searchers from multiple Colorado counties continued looking for the missing students. Shortly after noon, a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann, prompting a ground team to investigate.
Searchers discovered the students’ tent collapsed beneath the weight of the snow. Sleeping bags, a stove and clothing were found inside, but neither Matsuda nor Donlon was present. Investigators also reported no visible footprints in the surrounding snow, suggesting the tent had been established before the storm.
Sheriff Remains Hopeful as More Bad Weather Approaches
The search has involved personnel from Chaffee, Teller, Lake, Arapahoe and Park counties, along with search dogs, helicopters, drones and an aircraft equipped with infrared technology.
Despite extensive searches of Ice Mountain and nearby peaks, authorities had not located the students as of the sheriff’s October 27 update.
Investigators also examined their cellphones and determined neither had been used during the preceding 48 hours. However, authorities noted that reception in the area is extremely limited and the students may have turned off their phones to conserve battery power.
Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said crews are considering additional destinations the hikers might have traveled to beyond Ice Mountain.
“We are still optimistic Kaden and Jackson are hunkered down somewhere waiting to be rescued.”
Rohrich expressed concern that another round of poor weather expected later in the week could further complicate rescue efforts. He said the sheriff’s office was committing all available resources to the search.
Family and friends described both students as experienced hikers who were expected to have appropriate clothing. Matsuda is studying to become a wildland firefighter, while Donlon is studying to become a mountain guide.
