North Cascades National Park is remote. The expansive park, which sits at the very northern edge of the United States, is a seemingly never ending collection of majestic mountains, alpine meadows, roaring glacial rivers, deep lakes and lung-busting trails. The names of the peaks, Forbidden Peak, Mount Torment, Mount Triumph, tell the story of this epic park and its untamed wilderness.

A half century ago, a young Jack Kerouac found himself atop Desolation Peak in a flimsy fire lookout. He spent a lonely season spotting wildfires and writing, resulting in two of his most famous novels.

I propose a story that follows Kerouac’s footsteps up Desolation Peak and discusses why North Cascades National Park inspired the voice of a generation.