Top 5 most-read stories last week

Stories in this list received the most page views on aspentimes.com from May 26-June 2.

1. Three killed in crash near New Castle on Interstate 70 

Three people were killed Tuesday morning in a two-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 70 near New Castle, according to the Garfield County Coroner’s Office and Colorado State Patrol.

The collision happened at mile marker 105.9, just east of New Castle. Emergency crews responded to the scene shortly after 10:19 a.m., where they found the occupants of both vehicles with fatal injuries.

The crash involved an 84-year-old woman from New Castle, who was the sole occupant of one vehicle, and an 81-year-old man and 79-year-old woman from Highland, Utah, who were in the second vehicle. The Utah man was driving, and the woman was a passenger, the coroner’s office said.

-Taylor Cramer 

2. Colorado’s reintroduced wolves tour new counties in latest activity map 

In the final month of spring, the movements of Colorado’s collared gray wolves continued to be spread across the Western Slope, with some activity pushing further south and west than in prior months. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s latest watershed map — which shows the collared wolves’ activity between April 22 and May 27 — shows movements that appear more compacted within Colorado’s northwestern counties than the April activity. 

In the last month, the wolves were active in watersheds along the eastern portions of Moffat, Rio Blanco and Garfield counties as well as in Routt, Jackson, Eagle, Grand, Pitkin, Summit, Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Lake counties. 

-Ali Longwell 

3. Study finds U.S. adult usage of ‘magic mushrooms’ has doubled since decriminalization began 5 years ago in Denver 

Use of psilocybin — the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms” — has doubled among U.S. adults since Denver began decriminalizing the drug in 2019, according to researchers with Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety.

Joshua Black, one of the authors of the peer-reviewed study published last month in the Annals of Internal Medicine, explained that researchers used 2019 as a reference point because that was the first time a government in the U.S. had decriminalized psilocybin.

“Our goal was to see ‘How have use patterns changed across multiple different age groups since that time?'” Black said. “We wanted to use a comprehensive approach. So, in our study we looked at multiple different data sources that assessed different ages as well as medical outcomes for individuals who are using psilocybin.”

-Ryan Spencer

4. How many of Colorado’s wolves can die before experts raise the alarm?

In the 18 months since Colorado Parks and Wildlife began the voter-mandated reintroduction of gray wolves, seven of the 25 wolves it has relocated from Oregon and British Columbia have died. Four of these deaths occurred this year between March 16 to May 15. 

The deaths have been caused by conflicts with other animals, illegal poaching in one instance, and two legal, human-caused deaths in Wyoming. Two of the deaths this year are still under investigation. 

Colorado’s wildlife agency has maintained throughout the reintroduction efforts that some level of mortality was planned for and expected. 

-Ali Longwell 

5. Aspen’s Wally Raymond Obermeyer passes away 

Aspen mourns the passing of Walter Raymond Obermeyer on May 23, 2025. Son of iconic ski-wear pioneer Klaus Obermeyer, Wally was a serial entrepreneur and innovator, building Obermeyer Wealth Partners, Obermeyer Place mixed-use development in Aspen, the Vallecito Hydro Electric Plant near Durango, and a legacy at Sport Obermeyer. 

Born at Aspen Valley Hospital on Halloween 1956, Wally grew up connected to this valley’s history and was optimistic about its future, leaving a wide wake of respect and admiration with everyone he encountered. A man of “-isms,” his favorites were “you can only eat one steak a day,” and “your reputation is your working capital,” capturing a life built on humility, frugality, and mutual respect.

Those who knew him well often describe his rare blend of observation and wisdom. He was a man who listened more than he spoke, but when he did speak, others leaned in. He did not seek attention or accolades, and yet they found him.

-Catherine Ward