Missing Hikers in Colorado: Search Continues After Tent Discovery

Chaffee County search and rescue teams are actively looking for two missing college students who left for a hike at Ice Mountain last Friday. Deputies have located their campsite but have not yet found Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20.

The pair, who attend Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, departed on Friday with the plan to summit Ice Mountain. They left their vehicle at the Mt. Huron trailhead near Winfield. Friends told deputies that the two had agreed to return on Saturday if conditions felt unsafe, or on Sunday if they felt confident in their progress.

Weather conditions changed rapidly after they left. It rained on Friday, but heavy snow began falling on Saturday between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. Deputies described the resulting road conditions as horrific, reporting more than a dozen slide-offs and accidents across the county. Ice Mountain received up to two feet of snow by Saturday night, with some drifts reaching three or four feet.

Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich noted that the mountain is a technical climb even in dry conditions. He stated that boulder fields leading to the peak are now covered in snow, making them extremely dangerous and virtually impossible to cross on foot. He added that there is no location on the mountain where a helicopter could land to deploy staff.

Search and rescue personnel were deployed on Monday but did not find the hikers. At noon on Tuesday, a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann. A ground team retrieved the item and identified it as a collapsed tent. Inside, deputies found sleeping bags, a stove, and clothing belonging to the pair. The ground beneath the tent was free of snow, and no footprints were visible in the surrounding snow, suggesting the tent was set up before the snowfall began.

Rohrich said the team remains optimistic that the hikers are safe but noted that the window of opportunity is closing as poor weather is expected later this week. He confirmed that the department is deploying all available resources and is considering other potential destinations the hikers may have targeted. Rohrich described Matsuda as studying to be a wildland firefighter and Donlon as studying to be a mountain guide.

Family and friends informed deputies that both men are experienced hikers and packed appropriate clothing. A text message shared with officials showed a map plotting Ice Mountain as their destination, with an image circling the trailhead area near Winfield, possibly indicating their entry point or camping spot.