Mossback Podcast | How historic racism limits access to the PNW wilderness Many preservation advocates, from John Muir to Teddy Roosevelt, held discriminatory views that continue to affect equality in outdoor recreation. by Alison Mariella Désir / March 5, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: Colossal batholiths collide in the Cascades The massive Golden Horn and Black Peak granite towers near Washington Pass tell a story 50 million years in the making. by Adam Brown / January 24, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: The volcanic birth of Vancouver’s Beacon Rock Lewis and Clark were astounded by this 800-foot-tall basalt tower on their journey down the Columbia River, but didn’t know its fiery origin story. by Adam Brown / January 17, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: Unlocking the secrets of Seattle’s lakes Why are some salty and some freshwater? A giant ice sheet carved them 16,000 years ago, creating the hills, valleys and waterways that shape the city. by Adam Brown / January 10, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: How massive floods landscaped a tiny WA town 3,000 years of Ice Age activity shaped Pateros in Central Washington where the Methow River meets the Columbia. by Adam Brown / January 3, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: The secret summit of Washington’s Mount Index The mountain’s namesake granite was used to build Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower and is coveted by climbers. But its peak is made of a much older rock. by Adam Brown / December 27, 2024
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: How were the Potholes Coulee canyons created? North of Washington’s Gorge Amphitheatre are two massive lake-filled canyons, and geologists have chased clues about their origins for centuries. by Adam Brown / December 20, 2024
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: Volcanic mud blooms tulips in the Skagit Flats The famous flower fields are connected to mudflows that spilled from Washington’s Glacier Peak less than 15,000 years ago. Could it erupt again? by Adam Brown / December 13, 2024
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: How an ancient glacier carved coastal Anacortes About 15,000 years ago, Washington was covered by a massive sheet of ice. As it melted, it helped shape the state into the landscapes we know today. by Adam Brown / December 6, 2024
Mossback Mossback’s Northwest: How racism pervades PNW outdoors culture Alison Mariella Désir and Knute Berger talk about the complex legacy of Catherine Montgomery, often called “the mother of the Pacific Crest Trail.” by Knute Berger & Alison Mariella Désir & Gavin Borchert / October 25, 2024