Toklat Tales

Offered in September, every Wednesday.

Join Trevor Washko, Toklat Steward, for Toklat Tales! Each week will carry a new theme and will take place under the changing aspens or in the Gathering Room of Toklat. Paired with a walk in the “backyard” or a longer hike to Cathedral or American Lake, this is a wonderful way to experience the rich history and serene landscape of the Castle Creek Valley.

September 2: Food

September 9: Indigenous Connections

September 16: The Magic Hand of the Zapotec with Guest Speaker Elena Gonzalez-Ruiz

September 23: Stewardship a.k.a. “Stuartship”

September 30: TBD

About Trevor Washko: 

Trevor’s interest in environmental philosophy and our human relationship with the natural world first took root during his graduate studies. Drawn by a Midwestern dream of the “Rocky Mountain High,” he came to Aspen and ACES in 1996 as a Summer Naturalist.

The following year, Washko began an eight-year immersion with ACES as the Stuart Mace Naturalist in Residence at Toklat.  His presence anchored ACES early programming and partnerships at Ashcroft. While living alongside the Mace family, absorbing countless tales from the hanging tables and around the council fire, Washko gained an enduring reverence for the power of the place. He still considers that experience the privilege of his lifetime.

Upon leaving ACES and Toklat in 2005, Washko delved even deeper, spending several years researching and writing the remarkable (yet-to-be published) story of Toklat. He also worked as a manager for Ashcroft Ski Touring and served as a Ranger for Pitkin County Open Space and Trails. He is most proud of Cold Mountain Craft, his hand-stitched, home-crafted, and community-grown buffalo leather goods that have been a steady offering at Colorado markets and merchants for over twenty years.

Washko returned to ACES in 2015 as the Toklat Steward, dedicating himself to the organization’s effort to restore Toklat and to carry its legacy forward.