Two college students found dead after they went missing on a hiking and climbing trip in Colorado last weekend were mountain enthusiasts who had been studying to become a wildland firefighter and an outdoor recreation guide, the school said Thursday.

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, set out last Friday from Colorado Mountain College's Leadville campus for what was supposed to be a weekend trip to Ice Mountain, a 13,958-foot (4,254-meter) peak.

It was raining at the time, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, and despite a break in the weather on Saturday morning, a severe storm arrived that afternoon, dumping up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow.…