Search Continues for Missing Colorado Mountain College Students on Ice Mountain

Search and rescue teams in northern Chaffee County are racing against a closing weather window after finding a collapsed tent belonging to two missing Colorado Mountain College students, but Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, remain missing.

Ice Mountain is a technical climb recommended only for hikers who are very experienced, and the pair vanished just as a volatile weather system slammed into the region. For the families of Matsuda and Donlon, the discovery of the tent confirms where the men had been, but the sleeping bags found inside show why rescuers must find them before poor weather returns later this week.

Search continues for two missing students near Ice Mountain in Colorado

A tent buried in the snow

The breakthrough came at approximately 12 p.m. on October 27, when a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann. Ground teams moving in on foot identified the object as the hikers’ tent, which had been crushed under the weight of accumulated snow. Inside, searchers found a camp stove, clothing, and two sleeping bags. However, there was no sign of the two students.

The physical evidence at the site tells a specific story. According to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, there was no snow underneath the tent and no footprints leading away from it in the surrounding area. This indicates the camp was established before the heavy snowfall began. CBS News reported that while the trailhead area saw about eight inches of snow, the higher elevations of Ice Mountain were hit with one to two feet, with some drifts reaching three to four feet due to sluffing.

Searchers found two missing Colorado Mountain College students’ tent collapsed under snow near Lake Ann on Oct. 27. Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were not there; sleeping bags, a stove and clothing remained inside.The students left the college’s Leadville campus… pic.twitter.com/xXZjS0xd5S

— https://x.com/heyday_news/status/2115273801386656055

The timeline of the disappearance highlights how quickly the environment turned hostile. The students left the Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus on Friday, October 23. They told friends they would return Saturday if conditions became unsafe, or Sunday if they reached the peak. When they failed to return, school staff alerted authorities at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 26.

The struggle against the elements

Searching for people in the Ice Mountain area is a logistical nightmare. Rain and freezing temperatures encased the mountain in a layer of ice, making foot travel “virtually impossible” and eliminating feasible landing zones for helicopters. Even with the deployment of infrared-equipped drones and search dogs, the initial sweeps on Monday yielded nothing.

Search continues for 2 missing hikers on Ice Mountain in Chaffee County

Investigators have also looked into the digital trail. Forensic exams of the hikers’ cellphones showed no activity for 48 hours. While this can be alarming, the sheriff’s office suggested the phones may have been intentionally powered down to save battery in an area where cellular service is nearly nonexistent.

“We are still optimistic Kaden and Jackson are hunkered down somewhere waiting to be rescued. Our window of opportunity is closing as poor weather is expected again later this week, so we are putting all our available resources in the field,” said Sheriff Andy Rohrich.

The risk in this specific stretch of backcountry is not theoretical. The current urgency mirrors a 2020 search for Terry Pann, a 60-year-old hiker who went missing near the Three Apostles from the Lake Ann trailhead. That operation was similarly hampered by rain and low cloud cover, illustrating the inherent danger of the Lake Ann and Ice Mountain corridor during shoulder seasons.

Collapsed tent found near lake ann as search for missing colorado hikers races snowstorm — Photo: hoodline.com

Training as a lifeline

Despite the grim circumstances, officials are leaning on the hikers’ professional training as a reason for hope. This isn’t a case of unprepared amateurs wandering into the wilderness. Kaden Matsuda is studying to be a wildland firefighter, and Jackson Donlon is training to be a mountain guide, known as a “Mountainair,” according to reports from krdo.com.

Searchers are now expanding their scope, considering other potential destinations the men might have headed toward if they abandoned the Lake Ann site.

Staff from Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus reported the students missing after they didn't return from the hike. https://t.co/qhYB15cTJq

— https://x.com/9NEWS/status/2115318661724373447

The operation has scaled up significantly to meet the crisis. By Tuesday, the search effort grew to approximately 50 personnel, drawing resources from Teller, Lake, Chaffee, Arapahoe, and Park counties.

The search continues as the region braces for more inclement weather.