Rusk was a very good writer, with beautiful flowing prose and fabulous descriptions that make the reader feel as if they are there with him. His writing has been compared to the English mountaineers Edward Whymper and Adolphus Warburton Moore. In addition to his book, Tales of a Western Mountaineer, he wrote several articles over the course of his life. The Fourth of July on Mount Adams and Illuminating Mount Adams describe the illumination attempt of Mount Adams. On the Trail of Dr. Cook, published in three parts, is Rusk's account of the Mazamas McKinley expedition. The Snow Peaks of the Cascades describes the various peaks of the Cascade Range. Rusk's other book, Timberline Campfires, was never published except for one chapter, The Wonderful Story of Abe Lincoln, published in the American Alpine Journal in 1946. His Mount Adams-Towering Sentinel of the Lower Columbia Basin promoted creating a national park protecting Mount Adams.