Literature Appetizer
Ben Kusserow
A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Recently I just finished Appalachia North by Matthew Ferrence. In it, he recounts the complex relationship he still has with the land as a Northern Appalachian. Typically when I finish a book I write a Literature Appetizer to get people a taste of what they will find. Since his book is such a personal journey, I would not do it justice by recounting his life.

Many of his experiences reflect my own experience growing up in Western PA. So instead of condensing his journey, I thought I would condense mine.

The Hero’s Journey is a common literary structure where the hero of the story departs home to do a great act, and then returns victorious. My Northern Appalachian Journey is a bit different, but has a similar structure of three parts; Living in Water, Succeeding by Leaving, and The Mountains are Calling.

A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Mountain Behind the Name

The Mountain Behind the Name: Negro

The Mountain Behind the Name: Negro

Unlike other mountains I have covered in this series, the complicated history of this mountain shows through before even getting into the post. My intention, as always, is to inspire people to get outside with providing some tidbits to get them excited. With this one, however, I also hope to spark conversation with how our language can be hurtful and oppressive, even with the best intention. Before getting into the history of people, lets dig into what has existed for millions of years; the rocks!

The Mountain Behind the Name: Sourdough

The Mountain Behind the Name: Sourdough

The North Cascades Ecosystem has many features to discover for naturalists, students and day hikers alike. Behind all the charismatic megafauna and flora including bears, wolverines, Douglas Firs, and Western Hemlocks are the mountains that make it all possible. In this series, we take a look at the “charismatic mega-rocks” that make the North Cascades one of the greatest natural wonders of this nation. Last time we took a short day hike up Sauk Mountain. Today we take a hike up to one of the most famous fire lookouts in the entire range: Sourdough.

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The Mountain Behind the Name: Sauk

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The Mountain Behind the Name: Sauk

The North Cascades Ecosystem has many features to discover for naturalists, students and day hikers alike. Behind all the charismatic megafauna and flora including bears, wolverines, Douglas Firs and Western Hemlocks are the mountains that make it all possible. In this series, we take a look at the “charismatic mega-rocks” that make the North Cascades one of the greatest natural wonders of this nation. First up, Sauk Mountain.