The Narrators “Little Path“ That Leads from the Parking Lot to the Rocky Promontory Viewing Site.
“ ...and then walk to a little path ..... “
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. When I was here at the “walk to a little path“ When here in 2002, I was aware of the need to illustrate this ZMM passage. In fact I had raised my camera to take the needed photo. But canceled the idea because the scene was not sufficiently "photogenic". But alas the "take-a-photo now" inspiration, was delayed, resulting no photo until my trip here in 2006. Moral of this story, as mentioned several times previously: If you reach for your camera, take a picture! No second thoughts!! The next two photo shows view as seen ahead and to the Northwest from this path.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0022 ...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135k)

I Thought You Would Enjoy This Shot Taken During My 2006 Trip Here.
“.“
First roadside rest area Beartooth Pass, MT. You will notice that all of my Montana photos show quite a bit of blue haze especially distant views. This was due to extensive forest fires in Colorado while we were here. My 2002 shots also show quite a bit of haze, but this is due to atmospheric moisture, and on this account are somewhat more whiteish.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0027 ...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135q)

View North and Down To a Side Stream Coming from The East
“[ ..... a little path] that takes us out to ..... “
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. As the ZMM Traveler walks the “little path“, this is the view stone wall at their right. You can see at least one broadleaf, as well as the white rushing water of the , Wyoming Creek, -- way way -- below! (For Topo map Click on the WayPt # below.)The stones at the bottom of this photo are at the edge of the wall. I had to lean way over this very solid protective stone wall to take this photo. The next photo shows the continued view to the left. New topic concerning the 2nd previous ZMM passage and the curt admission to the existence of Pirsig's photos. The Narrator says he takes some photos just for the record!! This fits other places in ZMM which generally avoid any “tourist” emphasis. Why? I interpret that the ZMM Narrator would rather have us to directly experience the vast reality of these mountains by , face to face, participation. (my words). The Narrator is saying we should "connect" at all levels; backpack hiking, camping, mountain climbing, etc. We should learn to practice "being there", and "being fully aware". However: Most "tourist attractions" do not help this style of learning advocated by the Narrator. They are built for the typical “Primary America“ visitor And even worse, typical touristy attractions end up promoting everything opposite!! NOTE: This is the first roadside rest area along this stretch of road. Next facilities are after the Narrator's "tunnel snow" and after that at Cooke City, MT.
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(Photo = 106-0617...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135k )

The Tiny Road From Red Lodge. Rock Creek Canyon Down-Stream. View North
“a little path that takes us out to the edge of a cliff. “
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. The views are indeed ‘breathtaking”! When I am at the edge of a high precipice, as happened here, I feel as if I am being drawn out of balance over the edge! So I hang tightly to the very solid secure railing, and just wait calmly as I can, until the queasy sensation gradually goes away. Where the road disappears in the distance, you see two humps. The nearer hump is, WayPt = 130w, where this U-shaped valley was first seen. .. The exposed rocks are part of the Narrator's “cliff“ The rocks are part of a major rock promontory that owes its existence to a side stream, Wyoming Creek, from the East (see previous photo). This stream cut its deep chasm (perpendicular) to the main N-S canyon of Rock Creek seen here. This cliff is formed by the projecting corner of the intersection of these two canyons. (These two respective “canyon cuts” will be seen more clearly in the 5th photo next or click on the WayPt below for a topo map.) Originally, this rock promontory no doubt was chosen to be a service & storage area during the original highway construction, because it was wide and already somewhat level. The parking lot here was probably originally leveled for a work-area plus a much needed place along these steep slopes to “park” construction machinery, temporary work buildings, dormitories, and materials. On these steep rockslide prone slopes, such needed places are hard to come by! The next photo shows more of these rocks to the left.
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(Photo = 106-0616 ...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135m )

Many, Many, More Highway Tiers On the Way Up. View West
“A motorcycle on the road almost straight down beneath us could hardly be seen from up here. “
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. Notice the different tiers of the highway that were the subject of the previous photographs. The next photo shows more of these highway tiers to the left. The ZMM Narrator mentions seeing a motorcycle way below. I don’t recall seeing any motorcycles the whole time from Laurel MT to Gardiner MT. There were only several other cars in this Roadside Rest Area while I was there. Was I there too early in the season? By contrast, the next day, there was an “over flow’ crowed of vehicles in the parking lots at Mammoth Hot Springs YNP. A Google Search for Web or Images [[Beartooth]], last year discovered perhaps 15% motorcycles among the scenery photos. But a quick look June 05 showed very few. Puzzle. Quite apparently we can not necessarily conclude web mountain scenery is popular with the bikers. Later in my trip, I did see motorcycles regularly other places on my trip, most notable was in the parking lots at Crater Lake NP. In general motorcycles along the ZMM Route seem to be in about the same proportion as one sees anywhere else in the USA.
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(Photo = 106-0615 ...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135n)

Many, Many, Highway Tiers and One Switchback Showing the Way Up. Upper Reaches of Rock Creek Canyon to the South. View Southwest
“[The broad-leafed trees are all gone. Only small pines are left. Many of these have twisted and stunted shapes.]
“
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Pass Highway MT If I had taken it, the next photo to the left, it would have shown the mountainside at the road entrance to this Rest Area. Clearly this shot is still needed! Also I don’t know why I stopped taking 360 Panorama Shots, especially of the High Country Ahead. My next 360 Panorama is well into YNP. The thin high altitude air must have lowered my gumption, although I was not aware of it at the time. You should watch for this when you get in similar circumstances.
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(Photo = 106-0614 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 135p)

From the “Little Path“ at the Rest Area, the Road Is Seen To Continue Ever Higher. View East
“ We bundle up more tightly against the cold and continue upward.“
Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Highway MT This is photograph shows the “little path“ on the way back from the cliff edge to the parking lot. Look closely, you will see the narrow path all the way, beyond what appears to be a lamp post. Clearly a very wide and solid stone wall (or iron railings) protect the visitor from falling over the edge. This highway was said to be a 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps project. I surmise that this rest area plus, this stone wall (hand made from local hand cut rock), were made by the CCC men! Rarely do more recent highway constructions make such labor intensive installations, that make this much use of local materials! On the distant mountain, note the landslides from the road-cut, the road itself. You can imagine the continuation of the switchbacks ever higher. This rest area is over ½ way up the mountain. Altitude here is 9233 feet. So it is a long way yet to the top at ~11,000 feet! You better hope your engine is in good shape, or you will have to perform some on the spot maintenance! Be sure the weather will allow safe passage. This is no place for rookies, tender-feet, or the ill-prepared!! Quality is the order of the day!!
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(Photo = 106-018 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 135q)

From the Observation Point At the End of “Little Path, We See the Road Continue Ever Higher. View East.
“[ We bundle up more tightly against the cold and continue upward.]“
First roadside rest area Beartooth Pass, MT.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0029 ...... ZMM Page = 110...... WayPt = 135s)

Looking Back Down At the Rest Area Parking Lot And the Little Path.
“.“
Firsts switchback after the first roadside rest area Beartooth Pass, MT. Look Closely and you will see the path all the way to the end of the pinnacle! To get the largest and best view, you may need to click twice on the photo.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0033 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 135t)

We Are Moving Up Towards The Narrators High Country, Both Physical and Mental.
“Soon stunted pines disappear entirely and we’re in alpine meadows. There’s not a tree anywhere, …. “
Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. This passage and all the rest of ZMM page 110 plus 1/2 of page 111, is poetically getting us ready, by analogy, for the “ High Country of the Mind“. This is the narrator’s way of introducing us to the next 9 pages of his Chautauqua on Western Philosophy. These lectures cover the Narrators version of how our 20th Century thinking came to be, as well as related rationality/scientific developments. He also shows the ugly consequences of these modes of thinking in our culture. The motorcycle is used as a concrete illustration of “a priori concepts“. The ZMM narrative builds to a climax as we move towards the Narrator’s High Country “summit “. We are moving higher and away from Rock Creek where we will see it from a distance, Then see Rock Creek Canyon again at a Ski Lift Area, whereupon the highway takes us Southeast and for a while away from Rock Creek Canyon. Finally the road swings West by Southwest back again to the edge of Rock Creek.
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(Photo = 106-0620cz2.0 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt =136i. Photo at 136k)

Just Grass, a Few Shrubs and Flowers
“[There’s not a tree anywhere,] only grass everywhere filled with little pink and blue and white dots of intense color.“
Beartooth Highway MT Even these beautifully phrased flower descriptions of page 110, are poetically getting us ready, by analogy, for the “ High Country of the Mind“. During my trip, I captured in photographs an example of practically every flower I saw. (See my “Flowers” Album.) However, in the highest elevations, such as the area of WayPt =136w at 9554 feet and higher I looked for, but did not see “pink and blue flowers“ until well after the snow fields and return to elevations below 9500 feet. What are we to make of this absence? 1) My travel thru here was almost a month earlier in the season than the Narrator’s. 2) The Narrator must compress into a few short paragraphs a vast travel experience, many times and elevations. 3) OK, so it is. Each ZMM Traveler can expect to see the high country “differently”, whether philosophic or real. Certainly in these quick sketches, we catch the Narrator’s thrill of the high country scene real and by analogy, the scene philosophic!
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(Photo = 106-0619 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt =136w)

An Unexpected Discovery: Little Purple Flowers Highlight the Rocks and Last Summer’s Grass. Of Course, There Are NO Trees!
“There’s not a tree anywhere, only grass everywhere filled with little pink and blue and white dots of intense color.“
High Country, Beartooth Highway MT The Narrator's descriptions of all the beautiful flowers in the "High Country" had alerted me to be looking for flowers all along. I especially was looking for flowers near Way Point 136, since that is the location that would best fit the ZMM Narrative. But none were seen. By pure chance (later, at Way Point 145) had decided to go back and examine a marmot, killed along the highway, down by an earlier switchback. To do this I climbed straight down a steep Southwestern facing slope. And, here by pure chance, I discovered my first real fields of wild flowers!. I imagine that there are similar slopes of flowers, nearer WayPt 136 that would more properly fit-in with the Narrative. I just did not know where to look for them, or more likely, the flowers were there, I just did not see them!. Photo 106-0630 (16th photo ahead) shows a view of the slope I climbed down. There you see yellow & white wild flowers, and the Marmot in the distance.
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(Photo = 106-0631 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 136i3 …… Photo at WayPt = 145w)

Close Up: Little Purple Flowers Highlight the Rocks and Last Summer’s Grass.
Cont “Wildflowers, everywhere!“
High Country, Beartooth Highway MT What’s the reasons these flowers can flourish here, whereas I did not see them elsewhere at these elevations? Why this burst of spring time beauty not in the grass my previous, or later, tundra photos? By pure chance, I had decided to down a steep Southwestern facing slope to look at the Marmot. also by pure chance, this hill side was on a slope and orientation that got much higher daily warmth. This would occur several hours after the sun’s high noon, a condition my photos happen to duplicate. The warmth advances these flowers well in advance of the surrounding land. I came through almost a month prior to the Narrator and crew, so I may have gotten to this area too early in the growing season to really expect to see the Narrator's flowers. What my photos show on this "extra warm sun enhanced slope, surly will appear later all over the higher and more level areas of open tundra seen in my photos.
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(Photo = 106-0632 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 136i3 …… Photo at WayPt = 145w)

Close Up: Rocks, with Lichens, and Last Summer’s Grass In the Highest Elevations of the ZMM Route.
“ These [flowers] and grasses and mosses and lichens are all that can live here, now. We’ve reached the high country, above the timberline.“
As mentioned in the previous photo: 1) I just did not know where to look for wild flowers, or more likely, the flowers were there, I just did not see them! 2) It was only by pure chance that I found the lichens in the above photo (and those flowers previous two photos)! I found them only because I had decided to climb back down the grass covered slope to see the Marmot.

A major object lesson here: To really see "what is there" on any trip, you must stop and get out on your car and go on short hikes. Even if you have no expectation of finding something, you must go explore! Some of my most enjoyable experiences were when I least expected them! Some of my best discoveries happened when I was forced to stop, even when I did not want to!
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(Photo = 106-0634 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 136i3 …… Photo at WayPt = 145w)

Alpine Tundra and Streaks of Rain from the Brooding Clouds Getting Near the Top of the Beartooth Plateau. In This Northwest View, We Can Pick Out the Gorge Which Has Our Road Up From Red Lodge.
“ I look over my shoulder for one last view of the gorge. Like looking down at the bottom of the ocean. People spend their entire lives at those lower altitudes without any awareness that this high country exists.“
Beartooth Highway, MT. Between the grassy tundra and the distant darker mountains, lies Rock Creek Canyon**, the U-shaped North-South main valley in which the melt water flows to Red Lodge. At right we see a second deep cut. This is a closer and smaller side-canyon essentially running East West. You saw a close-up of this side valley in the 12th photo previous. We are going away from the gorge and moving South. In the next photo (and later) we will see more views of Rock Creek Canyon. Note tinge of blue where the clouds will later open at right =West. Remember this direction. The tinge of red, of this photo and next, is because this is the direction of sunset and the end of the day is approaching. New topic: “The ocean“ and “the bottom of the ocean“ are Master Motifs.
New topic: Canyon** is a Spanish word used more often in the Western USA. A canyon is a narrow water formed cut, typically rocky with steep sides. Valley is a Norman French term more often used in the Eastern USA. A valley, also a water formed cut, is typically green with vegetation with more gently sloping sides. A canyon with very precipitous sides (walls) is a gorge. In ZMM, the word “gorge” is used first and twice in ZMM here on page 110. The Narrator uses gorge only once more in reference to a dry rocky cut in Oregon’s "driest country yet.“.
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(Photo = 106-0620 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 136`|k|' 9554ft)

Looking Over the Steep Snow Banks, We See a Closer Side Canyon With Reservoir. From Here We Can Look Partway Into Rock Creek Canyon
“[ one last view of the gorge.] ...... The road turns inward, away from the gorge and into snowfields. .. The engine backfires fiercely from lack of oxygen and threatens to stop but never does. “
Beginning of the Snow Fields and Ski Lift Area, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. Click photo for larger view. A ski lift and parking lot is to the left in this West view. The Narrator will mention lakes in a later passage. My little red car, despite my great fear and worries, had no apparent high-altitude problems at all! This Plymouth, with fuel injection, most certainly had reduced power due to altitude, but at no time was this much evident. I even tested a burst of acceleration briefly several times but saw only a small power reduction. This was just fine, because I was content to drive very slowly, so as to enjoy the scenery and not miss any good “photo-ops” or ZMM clues. My fear was prompted by both the Narrator’s high altitude problems and my own alarming experience with two other cars at high altitude. Each of those two cars did exactly what the Narrators said above. At lower elevations these two cars, (with carburetor) engines were just fine, but as they were driven to higher altitude (over 8000 feet) their backfiring and complete loss of power absolutely prevented further climbing. If the Sutherland’s cycle had similar problem, it is not mentioned. Was this because its (relatively huge) powerful engine had enough reserve-capacity not to be bothered by reduced oxygen? Or was it because the Narrator (generally) reports only his own problems?
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(Photo = 106-0621s ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 137=138w)

Into the Snow Fields
“ Soon we are between banks of old snow, …. “
Snow Fields, Beartooth Pass Highway, MT. Only after I got around the switch-back shown in the next photo, did I realize I had passed by this graphic scene My notes say “went back for snow bank”. My mental dialog at that time: ‘OK. Forget my normal practice of keeping my car or highway out of the picture. ‘Car and highway are now a required part of the photo. ‘The car must be positioned to show the relative size of the drifts. ‘Turn around in the middle of the highway. ‘Watch it! ‘Don’t go over the edge!‘There’s no berm on either side of the pavement! ‘Don’t get stuck in the snow or mud. ‘Don’t get hit by another car. ‘Do two complete “three point turns" so the car is pointed in the direction of the ZMM Route. ‘Don’t cause an accident. ‘Cars rounding the corner can’t see. ’Find a safe spot. 'Don’t obstruct the highway. ‘Steep slope! ‘Don’t forget to set transmission in park and lock parking brakes. ‘Everything OK? ‘Be sure another car doesn’t hit me when opening the door! ‘Slog down the deep snow. ‘Position the shot. ‘Don’t forget to be sure the camera actually took the picture and look at display screen to see pix is OK. ‘Don’t forget to take the GPS reading and double check it is saved. ‘Don’t forget to make extra pictures "just in case". ‘Etc. Etc, Etc Etc. This is a somewhat extreme example of my usual mental dialog when taking photos!
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(Photo = 106-0624 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 140k)

The Deep Snow Bank Reaches Exactly To the Edge of the Pavement. Tundra and a Rock Out-Cropping Are Seen Up the Mountain Side. View Southeast.
“ ….[between banks of old snow,] the way snow looks in early spring after a thaw. “ Snow Fields,
Beartooth Highway, MT. This photo is about 100 feet up hill from the previous. About a 1/2 mile back we had gone around a left corner and started up and along an North facing slope. What's the reasons for deep snow remaining here in mid June? Apparently local snow “drop-out” from the strong NW wind coming up the previously seen steep ski slope where it then dropped here. Somehow this is in a "back-current area shielded from the wind. The grass covered mountain incline and rock out-crop seen at left, is actually the top of a knoll called “Summit” elevation 10982 feet. The topo map shows that the road, just after the ski lift area, also maxes-out at a “bench mark”(BM = 10938ft). It just occurs to me that this somewhat lower area is a deep cut of an East-West side canyons that leads to the deeper Rock Creek Canyon. We have already seen a previous example of this. The photo shows a right curve. After the curve the road travels Southwest, then goes up a bit onto a high level area, swings to the Southeast, then enters a long right curve and starts down to the Southwest. After this curve the road is trending down and to the West along a South facing hillside. This produces more flowers. This slope appears in the 3rd and 4th next photos.
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(Photo = 106-0623 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 140`|w|' 10920ft)