I'm sure you have heard of 'good and bad' bacteria. You wash your hands to get rid of germs, and have been doing so since elementary school. But take a moment and gaze not to the heavens, but at your own body. Your hands right now are covered with living organisms. Dive millimeters deep into your fingers and the types of microbial residents change completely. For each part of your body, there is a unique microbial ecosystem.
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.