Two "Sno Cat"s at Butler Pass MT. These machines, designed and built I Sweden, are "Workhorse of the High Snow Country". They are used for winter ski trips, search & rescue, and other tasks that can’t wait for spring. While investigating a potential ZMM restaurant, I discovered this high quality Swedish built machine. I spent some time studying how engineers had designed "this very real machine" to deal with the combined challenges of mountain slopes, extreme cold, and VERY DEEP snow. The restaurant and Sno Cat were after Beartooth Pass and located by the highway on the way down to Cook City and the N.E. Gate of Yellowstone N.P.
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These recruits prepare to head-out for their bivouac, a week of Ranger Horseback Training in YNP Mountains.
The field-seasoned experts tell stories from their own mountain trials for the benefit of the "tender-foot" prior to their own trials. They will have their learning from direct experience; the "be-present-here-and-now" kind extolled by the ZMM narrator!
Buffalo Research Station, Yellowstone National Park WY.
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(Photo = 107-0686c ...... ZMM Page = 126 ...... WayPt = 161w `|w|' ft)

A school for the National Park Mounted Rangers is also housed here.
Instructors give a briefing sessions prior to a week Horseback Field Training on the high mountain trails. The rain has stopped for the duration of all the "horse-sense" advice.
Buffalo Research Station, Yellowstone National Park, WY.
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(Photo = 106-0687c ...... ZMM Page = 126 ...... WayPt = 161w `|w|' ft)

Church Sign and Wedding Party, Fort Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, MT. With the Yellowstone N.P. mountains as backdrop, this sign announces a "Sense of Community" as it explains the role of this church. In a Grangerville ID, restaurant scene (ZMM p259), author Pirsig comments: "We keep passing unseen through little moments of other people’s lives." I experienced this I viewed this wedding and repeatedly as I followed the ZMM Route. This church, once served army personal stationed (rough job) at the former Fort Yellowstone. Located just North of the Yellowstone Park Mammoth Hot Springs, this church is now at a hub of tourist traffic!! The adjacent army fort buildings were originally situated here to take advantage of the free the hot water from the hot springs, for heating and bathing. This once-upon-a-time fort, located near the NW Gate of the Yellowstone National Park, now has the service buildings for the park, and looks a bit like a College Campus! (Photo = 107-0702_IMG.JPG)

The ZMM Narrator's Earthquake Landslide.
On my second trip to YNP, I traveled to through the Western Gate of the park, and encountered the landslide site mentioned by the ZMM Narrator, early in Part III, as causing horrible death toll among the campers there in 1959. This photo fits to the left of the next photo and shows the landslide which dammed up the Madison River and created what is now known as Earthquake Lake. This is the site of an earlier concrete and earth dam which created Hegben Lake, as it was known at the time.
Click here for Bob Kopp's Here is the story of Bob Kopp, a visitor to the area.

Yellowstone National Park, MT. Three more interesting links next photo.

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(Photo = Summer 2006 0031)

The ZMM Narrator's Earthquake Landslide. Cont Previous Photo.
On my second trip On my second trip to YNP, I encountered the landslide site mentioned by the ZMM Narrator. This photo fits to the right of the previous photo, showing the landslide which dammed up the Madison River and created what is now known as Earthquake Lake. This is the site of an earlier concrete and earth dam which created Hegben Lake, as it was known at the time.
Yellowstone National Park, MT.

Click here for commentary of the earthquake event and landslide damage.

Click here for commentary and many photos of the event and damage.

Click here for commentary and present day photo. You will see the lake, and in the distance the dam. At the left of the dam, you see the scarred mountain side where the landslide came from. Strange to say the dam is lower, on the left, nearest the landslide!
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(Photo = Summer 2006 0032)

Staff of the Hillcrest Motel, Gardiner MT.
Annie Bent & the Bent family run the Hillcrest, while Mr. Bent stays super busy with maintenance and new renovations to keep the Hillcrest in modern tip top condition. Entrepreneur, motel owner, motel re-builder and house builder, Mr. Bent relies on family teamwork to make a better life for their family and his motel guests. Be sure to stop here and check out this hi quality owner built motel so accurately described in ZMM. This motel. was originally called the Hillcrest Cottages. This is still etched on the original sign, which is still there. Later the name was changed (Painted over) to Hillcrest Motel b/c "cottages" were out of style and thought not to not have bath rooms, (or were all rusty.). Thirties Style Motels are now "OK", so the name has been changed back the Hillcrest Cottages Motel.
Gardiner, MT.. After their webpage comes up click on photo and Information for two additional photos. http://www.hillcrestcottages.com/
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Mr. Art Bent shows some of the tight fitting, high quality wood work left behind by the original 1935 builders of the Hillcrest.
These “cabins” of this early Yellowstone NP Thirties Cottage Style motel buildings are just as snug and functional as they were when they were first crafted in the 30's. Mr. Bent, in confirming ZMM author Robert Pirsig statements as to the Hillcrest’s high quality construction, stated that all the other original 1930’s motels in this area of the West are long since out of business and gone! By contrast, most of the original buildings of the Hillcrest Motel are still here! This is testament and legacy of Mr. & Mrs. Ritchie the original owners AND the carpenters who, guided by a contractor, did the original work. This is somewhat contrary to statements of the ZMM Narrator. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Bickles were the second owners, and may have been the persons who talked to the our ZMM Riders in 1968.
Hillcrest Motel, Gardiner, MT.
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Heading Up To Bozeman Pass I Discover This Herd Of Domesticated Buffalo. But They Are Wild Enough To Require A Substantial Fence To Keep Them In!!
The old highway going West, 1/2 way up Bozeman Pass, is now a marginal road close by I-90. This marginal allows a "ZMM Rider a slower-pace" and a chance to stop and enjoy these buffalo! To take this older highway, get off I-90 at the first exit just West of Livingston, MT .
10 Mi East of Bozeman, MT..
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(Photo = 107-0793 ...... ZMM Page = 129...... WayPt = 191w `|w|' ft)