Two hikers found dead on West Apostle Mountain after 100-mile search
Bodies of two Colorado Mountain College students were located Wednesday in a basin after a snowstorm struck the region last weekend.
By Pablo Serrano ·
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died after their hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains was disrupted by a heavy snowstorm last weekend. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the discovery of their bodies on Wednesday afternoon in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. The site is located approximately 100 miles southeast of Aspen.
The two students departed from the Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus on Friday. They told family and friends they intended to hike up Ice Mountain, a peak that stands near 14,000 feet and requires technical climbing skills. Staff members reported them missing on Monday morning after the pair failed to return by Sunday as scheduled.
Search efforts involved about 60 volunteers, helicopters, drones, and dogs. On Tuesday, a helicopter crew found a collapsed tent near a lake northwest of Ice Mountain. The shelter contained sleeping bags, a stove, and clothing, but the students were absent. Officials noted that trash inside the tent indicated the men had eaten before beginning their ascent. Their climbing gear was missing from their dorms and vehicle, suggesting they had prepared to camp for a technical climb.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich stated that foul play is not suspected. He said authorities will wait for autopsies to determine the causes of death before offering theories. Rohrich added that the team was proud to find the students before a new storm arrived this weekend.
“Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends,” Rohrich said. “We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family.”
Matsuda was from Ridgway, Colorado, and was studying to become a wildland firefighter. Donlon was from New York and was studying to become a mountain guide. Friends and family described both as experienced hikers and climbers.
Weather conditions were expected to limit aerial searches later this week, with poor weather forecast to begin on Friday.
Source: The Guardian
