In This View, and Later Photos of the Yellowstone River Valley, We See That the Valley Itself Is In Relatively Flat Terrain => Thus The River Has Almost No Downward Slope. Which “Fits” =>
….The Yellowstone River Is a Wide and Calm Body of Water. This Is Great For River Transport Such As Lewis & Clark, Pioneers, Trappers and the Early US military.

…. "Now we follow the Yellowstone Valley right across Montana. "

I-94 Rest Area ~6 Mi West of Miles City, MT. In Summer 02, as I traveled this stretch of I-94, I kept thinking about the road that travels along the North-side of the Yellowstone River. These are reached by a secondary road that fits the Narrator's description of high-value travel. I was able to do this in Summer 06, as described in the Next Photo, Wherein The Narrator's “Good Road” discussions should urge The Pirsig Pilgrim (You) to travel the North side of the Yellowstone River from Miles Cityk MT to Custer, MT !!

….The /\ Above /\ Photo is part of a 360 Deg Full Circle Panorama. =>
…. RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => The Page that comes up shows 5 Albums => Please read the Description of TOP Album, Then Click on The Photo => After a page of Small Narrow Strip Photos Comes Up => Scroll down to the 8th Panorama about “I-94 Rest Area Just West of Miles City, MT … “ => Below the Narrow Photo, Please read the Description about “Viewing the Yellowstone River”, then Click on the photo and then Click a SECOND Time to Get the Largest View.
You can “Click&Drag” the “Sliders” at Bottom & Right, to See More Off Your Screen Edges.
…. (Alternate: If you have already viewed a panorama in a second (new) browser window, switch to it and choose >1< at top and scroll down to “Yellowstone River” Picture)

FOR A BETTER 360 DEG FULL CIRCLE PANORAMA VIEW AT THIS SAME LOCATION =>
…. RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => The Page that comes up shows 18 Photos => Scroll down to the 12 th & 13 th Photos, about “I-94 Rest Area Just West of Miles City, MT … “ => for BOTH of these, Below the Small Photo, => Please read the Description about “Viewing the Yellowstone River”, then Click on the Photo and then Click a SECOND Time to Get the Largest View.
You can “Click&Drag” The “Sliders” at Bottom & Right, to See More Off Your Screen Edges.

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(Photo = 105-0537 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... WayPt = 104`|x|' 2680ft)

An Alternate Road West From Miles City. Although the Road On the North Side of the Yellowstone River Is Fairly Good Gravel BUT Has Treacherous Huge Deep Center of Road Crash-Whump-Holes!!
....Despite This => It Is a ZMM Narrator's Description Of High-Value Travel = A Quality Road!
….This Road Allows Two Dramatic River-Crossing Views and Has Other Sights, Such As This Large Cattle Herd. NONE of These Are Seen From I-94, Along The South Of The River.
(ZMM page 005)
…."We have learned how to spot the good ones on a map, for example. If the line wiggles, that's good. That means hills. If it appears to be the main route from a town to a city, that's bad. The best ones always connect nowhere with nowhere and have an alternate that gets you there quicker." AND (page 003) "It is a kind of nowhere, famous for nothing at all and has an appeal because of just that."

About 6 Mi West of Miles City, MT. (Continued fm previous) In Summer 06, I had the chance to travel this stretch along the North-Side-Of-River.
....I took N 7th Street, Rt59, which has a great view of the Yellowstone River, went to the top of the bluff, and turned on the first major gravel road left. Mapquest shows this as Rt 158, Scheffield Road. (Later Hy 446.) This road goes thru the towns of Sheffield and Thurlow. At Cartersville a left turn will return you over the river to I-94.
….This road, on my map, is an unlabeled, hard to discern light-colored wiggly grey line. It fits the ZMM Narrator's Description Of High-Value Travel: (page 004) " ...when you make that shift in emphasis the whole approach changes. Twisting hilly roads are long in terms of seconds but are much more enjoyable on a cycle where you bank into turns and don't get swung from side to side in any compartment. Roads with little traffic are more enjoyable, as well as safer. "

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(Photo = Summer2006 0295 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... WayPt = 104k ~2680ft)

The Yellowstone River Was the Route of the Pioneers.

…. "[Now we follow the Yellowstone Valley right across Montana.]"

After Gravel Road, Along North Side of Yellowstone River From Miles City => /\ Above /\ Photo Shows => Yellowstone River Crossing Back to I-94, Forsythe, MT.
….As any alert land traveler (and history buff) soon discovers, river valleys generally provide an easier passage for nearly all modes of land travel as well as road construction.
….Rivers and streams often allow boat navigation and sometimes the first ways into and through a new territory. These facts were important for early explorers and settlers. Additionally valleys, compared to the surrounding terrain, are more favorable to agriculture. For these reasons roads and then towns become established in valleys such as the Yellowstone Valley.
…. All along, The Narrator’s goal has been Bozeman, MT. Thus after entering Montana, (and according to above conclusions), it should not be surprising that the ZMM Route follows for 160 miles fairly close to a river, the Yellowstone.
….It is thus, also not surprising that this river was also traveled by Captain Merriwether Clark….. So both the Narrator and Lewis and Clark traveled West through this area of Montana, for the same reason.
… Basically the facts of geography, given above, lead/constrained the ZMM Route so that it repeatedly encounters Lewis and Clark Landmarks, as you will see in forthcoming photos.

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(Photo = Summer2006 0317 ...... ZMM Page = 92 ...... WayPt = 104m)

Along the ZMM Route Many Road–Side Signs Explain the Activities of Lewis and Clark.

….“We pass by a marker saying something about Lewis and Clark. One of them came up this way on a side excursion from the Northwest Passage. .. Nice sound. Fits the Chautauqua. We’re really on a kind of Northwest Passage too."

I-94 Rest Area 6 Mi West of Miles City, MT. Capt. William Clark, mentioned in sign, traveled this way. Because of all the reasons mentioned in the previous photo, the Yellowstone Valley, became the major East-West artery of Montana, and locus of commerce and larger towns.
….Since the Narrator’s goal was Bozeman, MT, we should not be surprised that the ZMM Route follows for 160 miles fairly close to a river which happened also to have been traveled by Capt. Clark.
….Moreover, both the Narrator and Lewis and Clark traveled West from Montana. Basically the facts of geography, lead/constrained the ZMM Route so that it repeatedly encounters Lewis and Clark Landmarks.
….The Chautauqua” mentioned above is the upcoming “lecture” by the Narrator. He will cover hierarchies of logic (inductive & deductive logic) as applied both science and mathematics. “Logic in action” is illustrated by mechanics of motorcycle maintenance and the physical organization of the motorcycle.

*******************
(Photo = 105-0544 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... WayPt = 104`|w|' 2680ft)

Looking North From Interstate 94 Rest Area, 24 Miles West Southwest Of Forsyth, MT .
….Typical Scenery Over The Yellowstone River & Yellowstone River Valley.

…."I want to pursue further now that same ghost that Phædrus pursued...rationality itself, that dull, complex, classical ghost of underlying form.
....This morning I talked about hierarchies of thought....the system … . Now I want to talk about methods of finding one’s way through these hierarchies...logic.
….Two kinds of logic are used, inductive and deductive. " [The Narrator continues by expanding on these two logics. ]

The Next Interstate 94 Rest Area, ~90 Miles West Southwest of Miles City, MT. Poetically reflecting the necessary but boring Interstate-94 Travel through this landscape, the ZMM Narrator discusses a similarly necessary but boring topic .. “logic” .. which is the “ghost .... of.... rationality".
….************** …
… For a long time I could not understand the meaning of the Narrator’s "ghost of rationality". But in the passage above we see for example, that the Narrator simply means all the assertions and habits of science, that make us Moderns who we are.
….************** …

…. NEW TOPIC: Interstate I-94 closely follows the southern edge of the Yellowstone River all the way from Glendive, MT, at Eastern Border ot Montana, to Billings. However, as you see in /\ Above /\ Photo, the river itself is not at all seen, or even hinted at! This is despite the fact that the /\ Above /\ Photo shows a view right over the river! This is usually the case in this part of Montana, for any river or stream.
….Growing up in Ohio, and living all my life in lands not at all as flat, or dry, as this region of Montana, I was caught by surprised by the my in-ability to readily see rivers, or streams, in this wide expanse of relatively flat land\ . It took me some tine "getting used to" this. I had to learn the hard way (i.e. not finding good photos), that often the only indicators of streams or rivers, is a low line of trees, in an otherwise wide sea of grass.
….This in-ability to readily see rivers, or streams, is not at all the prior experience, for a person like myself, who grew up the Eastern part of USA, where there is abundant rainfall.
….Inability to see the river in /\ Above /\ Photo, is especially true because of the high dense trees on both sides of the river. Examples of these trees at the river will be seen in my photos taken from bridge crossings previous and upcoming.
….************** …

…DATE-LINE: July 25, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
MONTANA ZMM ROUTE RESEARCH PART ONE: As Seen By HSG in 2002, 2006, & 2019.)
….Back in July 2002, as much as possible I tries to find the “Non Interstate”, lesser traveled roads that Robert Pirsig might have followed, in 1968.
….As I drove West on I-94 from Miles City, MT, the first place I saw to turn off, was to exit the interstate at Forsyth, MT, onto the marginal road (which was the pavement of Old US-10, and followed this older road thru Sanders, MT. and Hysham, MT.
….However In August 2019, again traveling these same roads, I discovered that =>.”Traveling West from Miles City, MT would have to be I-94. But The ZMM Traveler can take the Exit at Hathaway (on to Graveyard Creek Road), which will lead to Old US-10 thru Rosebud, MT. this Old US 10 would be likely The ZMM Narrators choice thru to Hysham, MT.
….************** …
…. RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => To See Google Street View (GSV) Photograph of => Twisting Hilly Road, On Old US-10 Between Forsyth, MT & Miles City, MT. ….AND … Here this stretch of “Old Hwy 10” is much more enjoyable , and was what Henry Gurr experienced, when he drove Prius through this area, Aug 2019. This Blue Link above ALSO has instructions to “GSV Drive” this highway
….************** …

MONTANA ZMM ROUTE RESEARCH PART TWO:
….Will Continue the TENTH NEXT Photo.

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(Photo = 105-0559 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... WayPt = 104n 2680ft. Photo is from the next Interstate Rest Area, 156 miles after leaving Area of Miles City, MT. = 113`|w|' 2915ft)

Although Looking Somewhat Dry, Where You See Irrigated Corn Fields =>
…..This Could Be In Northern Ohio Corn Country.
[In this Chautauqua ] [ "We’re really on a kind of Northwest Passage too ." .] " We pass through more fields and desert and the day wears on.
.... I want to pursue further now that same ghost that Phædrus pursued—rationality itself, that dull, complex, classical ghost of underlying form.
….. This morning I talked about hierarchies of thought—the system. Now I want to talk about methods of finding one’s way through these hierarchies—logic. "
….[The Narrator now takes on the fine points of the scientific method. Naturally he uses motorcycle trouble shooting and repair to illustrate the steps.]

In the /\ Above /\ Photo, where you see irrigated corn fields, looks like my Northern Ohio Country side!
On Old Us-10, 7.5 miles West of Forsyth, MT.

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(Photo = Summer2006 0320 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... Thirty miles East of WayPt = 105w)

Dry Bluffs and Green Irrigated Fields.
… At Right, This Side of the Distant Tan Bluffs At the Horizon
….. In Middle of the Trees, Flows The Yellowstone River.

[The Yellowstone Valley => ] " .... changes from Western sagebrush to Midwestern cornfields and back again, depending on whether it’s under irrigation from the river. Sometimes we cross over bluffs that take us out of the irrigated area, but usually we stay close to the river. "

Some 10 miles East of Hysham, MT. I have departed from I-94 at Forsyth, MT, traveling on Frontage Road, which becomes Old US-10, and getting near Hysham, MT.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0332 ...... ZMM Page = 092 ...... Three miles East of WayPt = 105w)

A View From the Bluff: Dry Grass On the Slopes and In The Distance =>
….Green Irrigated Fields By the Trees Lining Both Sides of The Yellowstone River.

….[ "Sometimes we cross over bluffs that take us out of the irrigated area, but usually we stay close to the river. " ]

Some 10 miles East of Hysham, MT. As discussed in previous photos, I tried to seek out the roads that Robert Pirsig might have traveled in 1968.
….For these reasons I got off I-94 at Forsyth and traveled Old US-10, which ran along the South side of the Yellowstone River. I stopped here for this, and the previous photo, because this location showed especially well, the Narrator's changes from flat river green irrigated fields, and climbed up onto a dry bluffs. From Forsyth, MT to Hysham, MT, this is one of the few places that US-10 goes over bluffs.
….It is remarkable that Author Robert Pirsig remembered this accurate factual detail !
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(Photo = Summer2006 0334 ….. ZMM Page = 096 ...... Thee miles east of WayPt = 105w)

Is This The Scene Of Chris and the Narrator's Brush With Death?

….[The Narrator is deep in thought as he explains the hierarchies of the mechanics mind as he seeks the underlying form. Then suddenly, the horror of a head-on collision! => ]
….".... A car with a trailer coming our way is passing and having trouble getting back into his lane. I flash my headlight to make sure he sees us. He sees us but he can’t get back in. "

US-10, seven miles East of Hysham, MT. Well before Forsyth, I started look road clues that could fit the Narrators description above.
….My task was to find a straight section of road where the Narrator can look ahead to see => ".... A car with a trailer coming our way …. " on a "narrow road" bad drop-off, where he may have been "forced off the pavement" and the subsequent "had the shakes" and fairly soon a "small town " where they "order every kind of snack they’ve got".

…. From Forsyth, MT to Hysham, MT, the 8 mile straight stretch of road running East of Hysham, MT, is one of the few places that US-10 has the above combination of ‘clues”.

….The /\ Above /\ Photo was taken here, because as you can see this location has a safe place to pull of the highway and park. Once stopped at this particular place, I rested and re-viewed again the ZMM passages, so I would not miss any Narrator’s scenery clues, as I was taking photos.
….In the /\ Above /\ Photo (and the next), the lighter green trees, were wonderfully fragrent during my time here!
…. To see 1) A close up of these, wonderfully fragrent, lighter green trees, which as suggested by ZMMQ Editor David Matos are “Probably Russian Olive”. => Right Click And Select “New Tab” => AFTER You Study The Photo That Comes Up, You Can Click On The >> Arrows To View 2) A Very Much Closer, 6 Inch Away, Close Up Photo!
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(Photo = Summer2006 0338 ….. ZMM Page = 096 ...... WayPt = 105w)

Narrow Bumpy Shoulder With A Bad Pavement Drop-Off.
….No Place To Escape!

[ “He sees us but he can’t get back in. “ ] “The shoulder is narrow and bumpy. It’ll spill us if we take it. I’m braking, honking, flashing. Christ Almighty, he panics and heads for our shoulder! I hold steady to the edge of the road. Here he COMES! At the last moment he goes back and misses us by inches. “
US-10, seven miles East of Hysham, MT. Does the /\ Above /\ Photo illustrate where the Narrator and Chris nearly met their maker?
…Soon after I left Miles City, I started looking for the likely places that fit the above passage: => A narrow road, with a bad “drop-off” and a “narrow and bumpy” shoulder, followed by a town soon thereafter.
….Since obscuring conditions of a curved road is not mentioned, the road where this scene occurred (assumed real) should have a relatively straight section with visibility for a fair distance.
….Between Forsyth, MT to Hysham, MT, the 8 mile straight stretch of road running East of Hysham, MT, is one of the few places that US-10 has the above combination of ‘clues”. Perhaps it was somewhere in this 8 miles. The /\ Above /\ Photo location being as likely as any.
….However my search is partly incomplete, because I-94 somewhat after Miles City, MT, thru toe Forsyth, MT, has many places that eliminated the old US 10 pavement (plus roadside features). Ditto for the segment between the towns of Casper, MT, & Pompeys Pillar, MT. Any future search will have to take into account the road construction alteration of the many important local scenery clues.

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(Photo = 105-0546cfz1.5 ….. ZMM Page = 096 ...... WayPt = 105w)

The Straight Road Continues =>
….In The Distance We See The Water Tower Of The Nest Town.

….[[The Narrator is deep in thought as he explains the hierarchies of the mechanics mind as he seeks the underlying form. Then suddenly, the horror of a head-on collision! => ]]
….’[ ".... A car with a trailer coming our way is passing and having trouble getting back into his lane. I flash my headlight to make sure he sees us. He sees us but he can’t get back in. " ….“A cardboard carton flaps and rolls on the road ahead of us, and we watch it for a long time before we come to it. Fallen off somebody’s truck evidently. Now the shakes come. If we’d been in a car that would’ve been a head-on. Or a roll in the ditch. .. " ]
….[ “The shoulder is narrow and bumpy. It’ll spill us if we take it. I’m braking, honking, flashing. Christ Almighty, he panics and heads for our shoulder! I hold steady to the edge of the road. Here he COMES! At the last moment he goes back and misses us by inches. “ ]

Old US-10, one mile to Hysham, MT. In the ZMM Narratives given in this series of photos, the student of ZMM should here note that our Author has abruptly transitioned (switched)
..A) From > A routine discussion what a motorcycle mechanic is doing to trouble shoot => “knowledge of the faulty motorcycle ” [with mechanic] “ looking at underlying form.. ” with cycle’s urgent need to be fixed
..B) Suddenly Abrupt Switch To > The Narrator’s “terror producing near accident” Here he COMES! At the last moment he goes back and misses us by inches. “, , and ending Chapter 9 with how he, Chris & Sutherlands "order every kind of snack they’ve got".
..C) This is followed by > Chapter 10 which in a long discussion of the Processes Of Science, ending with > “ I’ve a vision of an angry continuing social crisis that no one really understands the depth of, let alone has solutions to. …. ”
….Here Author Robert Pirsig, Wants Us To Remember That =>
….Any time there is such an abrupt juxtaposition + “Abrupt switch” like this, we are to =>
..1) Take notice and actively, poetically see the Metaphoric Bridge Connections, either way between the Chautauqua Lecture and Travel Narrative Scenery + Actions...
..2) AND we are to feel these connections emotionally !

In This Above A), B), & C), Author Robert Pirsig Means That We Should
…. Mentally & Emotionally & Actively SEE, " METAPHORIC-BRIDGE-CONNECTIONS "=> BOTH WAYS BETWEEN => …
..a) Travel Narrative => How faulty machinery (and vehicle drivers) can caused a horrific terrible accident,
..b) And Chautauqua Lecture => How modes of science might cause major highly destructive social crack-up.
..c) Then, in both a) and b), you should feel the pain and brokenness.
….************** …

You Will Come To See That Author Robert Pirsig, Has Worked Into ZMM
….These “Abrupt Metaphoric Switches” ALWAYS, At The Start And End Of Each Chapter, And Sometimes Mid Chapter.
Typically " Metaphoric-Bridge-Connections may be discerned, at the abrupt shift, happening either way between Chautauqua Lecture and Travel Narrative Scenery + Actions..
….************** …

FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION OF=> " METAPHORIC-BRIDGE-CONNECTIONS "=>
….BETWEEN THE NARRATOR'S CHAUTAUQUA LECTURE, AND THE TRAVEL NARRATIVE. .
…. To Learn More About Metaphoric Bridge Connections, Right Click & Open In New Tab, AND AFTER This Page Comes Up. Scroll Down To And Read At THE TENTH & ELEVENTH Small Photos, AND Pay Attention To Where Discuss => “Metaphoric Bridge Connections”.

NOTE: A new idea **AHA** just Mentally Arrived!! => Create a NEW ZMMQ “Special Studies” Page on " METAPHORIC-BRIDGE-CONNECTIONS " Please send email if you want us to hurry up and get this done.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0348 ...... Contrast ZMM Pages = 096 & 102…… WayPt = 105k)

The Yucca Theater & Water Tower =>
….A Bit Of Iowa In The Yellowstone River Valley!

….“ We pull off into a little town that could be in the middle of Iowa. The corn is growing high all around and the smell of fertilizer is heavy in the air.“
Hysham, MT. Although this town did not have “corn high all around and the smell of heavy fertilizer", the two lane road (Old US-10, which changes to Rt-311) leading to this town, was the best overall fit to the Narrator’s passages concerning their near accident.
….However, as stated previously, my search was incomplete, because: 1) The then new ~1965, interstate overlaid much of the first half of the old US 10/312 between Miles City, MT, and Bighorn, MT, and 2) Thus I might have somehow missed proper combination of clues in the older ~1968 roads Robert Pirsig may have use, leading up to the Montana Towns of Hathaway, Rosebud, Myers, Bighorn and Pompeys Pillar.
….My 1964 shows as Rt 113, the road which I took in 2002, as these towns’ principle highway, more recently named US 10/Rt-311 to Hysham, MT..
….My 1964 Rand-McNally map clearly shows, this would have been the only reasonable 1968 Non-Interstate, through-route from Miles City to Laurel MT, which is the next named town in ZMM.
….************** …
….Concerning The White Building in the /\ Above /\ Photo, the Hysham Chamber of Commerce says “ Located across the street from the museum is the Yucca Theatre and Manning House which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Built in 1931 by Dave and Jim Manning, the theater is an impressive example of mission style and the prominent historic landmark on Hysham’s main street.
….************** …

…DATE-LINE: ZMM ROUTE RESEARCH: July 27, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
(ChangesSinceRobertPirsig1968Trip), As Seen By HSG in 2002 & 2006.)
….************** …
AS SHOWN & DISCUSSED IN THE PREVIOUS 6 PHOTOS, THE ZMM TRAVEL NARRATIVE VERY WELL MAPS ONTO THE THEN EXISTING 1968 ROADS, ESPECIALLY OLD US-10 !!
….************** …
AND THERE IS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE IN 1968, ROBERT PIRSIG WOULD HAVE (BY PRIOR TRAVELING THIS ROUTE) KNOWN HOW TO FOLLOW THE CONVENIENT PARTS OF OLD US-10, WHERE IT STILL EXISTED.
….After all he for ~2 years traveled this way from his home town of Minneapolis, MN, to his English Teaching at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.
…He would have sought => Secondary roads are preferred. … We want to make good time, but for us now this is measured with emphasis on “good” rather than “time” …
….************** …
THUS => Taken As Factual, For Robert Pirsig 1968 Traveling West From Miles City, MT =>
….We Can Conclude, ALL Of The ZMM Travel Narrative, =>
..A) WELL FITS => What was US-10 back in 1968.
..B) WELL FITS => Robert Pirsig’s ZMM Book Passage Says =>”
….We are just vacationing. Secondary roads are preferred. Paved county roads are the best, state highways are next. Freeways are the worst. We want to make good time, but for us now this is measured with emphasis on “good” rather than “time” and when you make that shift in emphasis the whole approach changes. Twisting hilly roads are long in terms of seconds but are much more enjoyable on a cycle where you bank into turns.

..C) Old Hwy-10 well fits with ZMM Emphasis On “Good,” Highway, As May Experienced Traveling West After Forsyth, MT. This is despite fact that Old Hwy-10, At Many Places Is Not Far From, Or Is Along Frontages To I-94.
..D) US-10 back in 1968 (original or new named), would have been far easier to find on then existing maps & roads.
..E) What portions of Old US 10, still exist, are the only reasonable Non-Interstate way to=> Go West From Miles City, MT to Laurel, MT the two towns mentioned in ZMM Narrative.
..F) The pavement of Old US 10 does still exists in many places, but through the years, some short sections have been re-located, interchanges modified, or name changes, making it somewhat harder to find on current day maps, and physical landscape.
..G) BUT STILL WORTH THE EFFORT, for the ZMM Enthusiast to find & travel it!
….************** …

CONTINUED NEXT PHOTO =>
….Going West From Miles City, MT. To Laurel. MT: WHERE Are The Non-Interstate Highways?


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(Photo = 105-0547c ...... ZMM Page = 097 ...... WayPt = 106w)

Is This The Site Of The Enormous, High-Ceilinged Old Place?

…;."We retreat from the parked cycles into an enormous, high-ceilinged old place. To go with the beer this time I order every kind of snack they’ve got, and we have a late lunch on peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, potato chips, dried anchovies, dried smoked fish of some other kind with a lot of fine little bones in it, Slim Jims, Long Johns, pepperoni, Fritos, Beer Nuts, ham-sausage spread, fried pork rind and some sesame crackers with an extra taste I’m unable to identify. .. Sylvia says, "I’m still feeling weak." She somehow thought that cardboard box was our motorcycle rolling over and over again on the highway. “

Hysham, MT. Supposing this town to be the correct town for the above passage, this old building, now converted into a shop for an irrigation company, could have been the location of their “late lunch” in an “enormous, high-ceilinged old place”.
….The Narrator, during the two years he was an MSU Professor at Bozeman, must have traveled this highway regularly. He would have known the good places to stop. This fact, plus the remaining “super hi-rate heart-throb” of his near accident would have riveted into memory all of the surrounding scenery. (Continued next)
….************** …

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PHOTO =>
…Going West From Miles City, MT. To Laurel. MT:
……..Where Are The Non-Interstate Highways?
..A) Trending West Southwest, From Miles City MT, The Non-Interstate Roads (Paralleling I-94) “ follow the Yellowstone Valley right across Montana.” , South Of The River, But Switch To North Side At Billings.
..B) You will need to study Right Click & Select New Tab: Satellite View Centered Red Pinpoint ,on Myers Bridge over Yellowstone River, SW of Hysham, MT. AFTER this Satellite View Comes up, you will see (faintly) Upper Right Hysham: Look close: As you can see, this small town is some 6 miles (somewhat NE) from Myers Bridge, following Rt-311 (Myers Road),..

On Satellite View Map (Blue Link Above), ClickDrag (or Zoom-In), So You Can Find The Following Highways
..1) Southwest of Miles City, MT, along I-94, The ZMM Traveler can take the Exit at Hathaway (on to Graveyard Creek Road), which will lead to Old US-10 ~12 miles to & thru Rosebud, MT. This Old US 10 would be likely The ZMM Narrators choice thru to Hysham, MT, But some places merely a Frontage Road to I-94, for example at Forsyth, MT. To find this road here, means =>
…a) Early travel research to find the needed stretches of pavement. OR
…b) When traveling, use all resources (GPS, Road Atlas Map, Alert Mind, All Of Your Well Honed Navigation Skills, Second by Second) to find correct roads.
..2) Going West from Forsyth, MT, the Frontage Road, turns into Old US-10, and it is clear on Road Maps (or Satellite View), how to follow it, due West through Sanders, MT, to Hysham, MT
..3) Some 6 miles East of Hysham, MT, Old US-10 is named Rt-311 which goes thru Hysham, MT, and beyond for 3.5 miles where Rt-311, turns 45 deg to the West, but the road straight ahead is Old US-10, and is so named all the way thru town of Big Horn, MT, continues over Big Horn River Bridge, continues on by Intersection of Rt-47 & I-94 Interchange, and continues West then NW to where it ends in an apparent new encroach relocation of the Yellowstone River!
..3) At the Intersection of Rt-47 => The ZMM Traveler should go West on I-94, and exit at the town of Custer, MT, where will see Old US-10, there named Custer Frontage Road: And should follow this name all the way through to 2 miles West of the town of Pompys Pillar, where-upon the road with this name ends, at an I-94 Interchange, which also has a Right Turn, onto Old US-10, which is there named Rt-312.
((SIDE NOTE Signs at this Interchange, should tell you how to get to the famous Lewis & Clark => “Pompeys Pillar National Monument”, which is 0.6 miles Northwest. A shade tree just North of road there, happens to be my WayPt = 115, and this tree, with turn off pavement, is seen in Satellite View, Blue Link Above.))
..3) Continuing South Southwest (up river), Old US-10 there named Rt-312, will cross to the North side of the Yellowstone River, and continue to the center of Billings, MT, where it appears to merge straight forward into US-87 Southwest then South, only to end near Montana Ave, which in turn, might be Old US-10.
..4) Here the ZMM Traveler should get onto West-going, what is now I-90, and continue to Exit for 72nd Street W, where North of I-90, will see a perimeter road, which is Old US-10, and signs should say so. “
..5) Within a mile West of 72nd Street W, this Old US-10, is also called E. Main Street, and continuing West Southwest, to center of Laurel, MT, will 45 deg turn to the West, and here be named again Old US-10.
..6) Laurel, MT is where the Narrator, Chris and the Sutherlands stayed overnight, and the Hurzler Hotel, just one block North of Old US-10. And the next morning followed US-212, under the Railroad Tracks, to Red Lodge, MT.

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(Photo = Summer2006 0350 ...... ZMM Page = 097 ...... WayPt = 107w)

More Possibilities For the Narrator's Enormous, High-Ceilinged Old Place.

….[ ." We retreat from the parked cycles into an enormous, high-ceilinged old place. To go with the beer this time I order every kind of snack they’ve got, and we have a late lunch on peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, potato chips, dried anchovies, dried smoked fish of some other kind with a lot of fine little bones in it, Slim Jims, Long Johns, pepperoni, Fritos, Beer Nuts, ham-sausage spread, fried pork rind and some sesame crackers with an extra taste I’m unable to identify.
.... Sylvia says, "I’m still feeling weak." She somehow thought that cardboard box was our motorcycle rolling over and over again on the highway. “ ]

Hysham, MT. Since the Robert Prisig started writing ZMM in Aug 1968 and reported completing the first draft by March 1970, his detailed recall, especially of the near accident along this road, surly seems still keen and accurate.
…..AND Supposing this town to be the correct town for the above ZMM passage, the Brunswick Bar Building in /\ Above /\ Photo is another possible location, for the Narrator’s ." “late lunch” in “enormous, high-ceilinged old place”. “
….I Showed Above ZMM Passage To A Lady At The Historical Society Museum. This was acrost the street from the Yucca Theater which is the White Building /\ Above /\ Photo on the right: … She said that the previous bar at this site (/\ Above /\ Photo) which burned down, did fit the “enormous, high-ceilinged old place”. … And come to think of it, a Bar rather than restraint, well fits => ." To go with the beer this time I order every kind of snack they’ve got, “
….************** …
Concerning the Narrator’s ." Late Lunch “
….The morning of this same day, back in Miles City, MT, the Narrator was talking the “ways of machinery” while fixing his cycle, and later shopping for parts. Chris was doing laundry with Sylvia, and John shopping for western gear & talking to the Ranchers at the bar. Around noon Narrator says ." We head down the main street, find a restaurant and order steaks for lunch. "
….It’s ~80 miles from Miles City, MT, to Hysham, MT, and assuming steady road progress the Narrator & Crew would be doing ." late lunch : in Hysham, MT around 3 pm. This fits their arrival in Laurel, MT, by supper time, another ~75 miles West Southwest
….************** …

Concerning Overall Accuracy Of ZMM Book Travel Narrative.
…. My entire ZMM Route Research Trip, is in essence an on-site check on the Narrator’s factual accuracy for details. Because I have found him very factually very accurate, he either took extensive notes or had fantastic memory compared to ordinary mortals.
….After I completing my 2002 ZMM Route Research Trip, I realized overall, that Robert Pirsig’s ZMM Travel Narrative, is Very Factually Accurate, with very few departures from the actual scenery, I was able to find.
….The ~ 6 major exceptions to this, Mr. Pirsig himself has given the reason => At the beginning of ZMM, he says =>
…. Author’s Note
What follows is based on actual occurrences. Although much has been changed for rhetorical purposes, it must be regarded in its essence as fact.
****
I believe that Mr. Pirsig, way to achieve his as fact. , was to be both interesting and very, very, absolutely factual with his travel scenery.
….My research concerning Mr. Pirsig's Travel Narrative, demonstrates that he did achieve his own above stated “as fact” criterion: He held his book to "Good old reality."
….To quote Professor Robert Nelson, "[ZMM's] plot remain consistently responsible to the topography of the physical landscape through which the protagonist moves ."
My (Henry Gurr) Extensive Explanation of “Why Is ZMM So Very Factually Accurate?” & “Six Pirsig Imperatives for Accuracy” Is .. Click Here.
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(Photo = 105-0548c ...... ZMM Page = 097 ...... WayPt = 107)

Just Before Crossing The River At Myers Bridge =>
…. A Nature Preserve Adjacent To The Yellowstone River.

Beginning Chapter 10:
…. “Outside in the valley again the sky is still limited by the bluffs on either side of the river, but they are closer together and closer to us than they were this morning. The valley is narrowing as we move toward the river’s source.
We’re also at a kind of beginning point in the things I’m discussing at which one can at last start to talk about Phædrus’ break from the mainstream of rational thought in pursuit of the ghost of rationality itself.”

Southeast River Side, ~500 Foot SE Of Myers' Bridge, Myers, MT. The entrance to this Nature Preserve is a gravel driveway to the NE. As shown in a Satellite View, you drive over a Cattle Guard, and on by some buildings on the right, and continue to the river edge, where there might be a boat landing.
….An Internet Sites for Montana Fishing says this is called “Myers Bridge Fishing Access Site”. The Site Visit.com, says “Myers Bridge Fishing Access Site is on the Yellowstone River. Primitive campsite camping. There is a boat launch. Open all season and a maximum stay of seven days.”
….Although there were was no mosquito problem at nearby Myers Bridge, the beasts in this nature preserve fit the Narrator’s descriptions at their camping experience near Lemon, ND.
….These highly persistent dive-bombers will carry you away!! No amount of swatting or running will yield relief.
….In typing up this Photo Caption, I remember that there had been recent flooding, from rain, and now realize, this preserve & river access is likely free of this ”flood” of beasts on wing, most times of the year.
….To See my 2nd Photo Taken Here, showing flowering bush both sides of driveway, Click Herr.

….************** …

…DATE-LINE: July 28, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
MONTANA ZMM ROUTE RESEARCH PART TWO: As Seen By HSG in 2002.)
….Back in July 2002, after I finished my ZMM Route Research in Hysham, MT, I wanted to find & continue toward Laurel, MT, on road(s) likely used by Robert Pirsig in 1968. .…
….At the time, I thought I was following the Old Rt 10: But somehow a wrong turn took me away from the any hint of Old Rt 10, and unfortunately followed Rt-311 = Myers Road, which went over the Yellowstone River, onto a maze of back country dirt roads”
….These formed a labyrinth of scattered road forks, in every which-a-way- nonsense. In sum, this turned into a long and anxious detour, and away from any recognizable road on my mapl! Even my GPS, was limited help!!!
….As you can see in 4) below (on a Satellite Map), the trace of Myers Road, is clear & easy to follow. However, back in July 2002, driving on the dirt road was anything but clear. I just kept going and following the largest most traveled track, and finally last gasp, tired, hot, and about out of gas, got back over the Yellowstone River, and Intersection with I-94 at Custer, MT.
….And now (July 28, 2021) as I type up this paragraph, I clearly remember => I My frantic, near panic, attempts to get back to “civilization”, and find a gas station, before car ran out of gas!!.
….But In Retrospect, For The Adventurous ZMM Traveler, Myers Road, Qualifies As A ZMM Quality Road,
….Once you have the proper Maps, and Enough Gas, give it a try! For ~15 miles you’ll see the REAL Back Country Montana!
….This is a valid alternative to US-10 from Hysham, MT, to Custer, MT. AND for sure far higher ZMM Quality than I-94!
….Also you will go by where I found my first view of actual "Yellow Stone” (my WayPt = 112), which you will see the THIRD Photo Next.
.************** …
This Satellite View Was Discussed In Previous Photo:
….Here You Can Continue To Study This Satellite View To see The Above Roads AND The Continued Discussion Below. Right Click & Select New Tab: Satellite View Centered Red Pinpoint ,on Myers Bridge over Yellowstone River, ~6 Miles SW of Hysham, MT.

AFTER This Satellite View Comes Up, Zoom & ClickDrag, So You Can See =>
..1) Center Screen At Red Pinpoint => Myers Bridge over Yellowstone River.This is shown Next 2 Photos
..2) ~500 Foot SE Of Myers' Bridge, see a gravel driveway: This is the entrance to a Nature Preserve: As shown in Satellite View, you drive over a Cattle Guard, and on by some buildings on the right, and continue to the river edge, where there might be a boat landing. ….An Internet Sites for Montana Fishing says this is called “Myers Bridge Fishing Access Site”..
..3) Faintly Upper Right See => Hysham, MT, the small town much discussed previous photos:… Look close => As you can see, this small town is about 6 miles (somewhat NE) from Myers Bridge (Red Pinpoint), following Rt-311 = Myers Road,
..4) NW Of Myers' Bridge, see Myers Road = Rt-311. Zoom & ClickDrag, So You Can See Myers Road, go North, then West, Then South and then keep following it, trending SW somewhat parallel to the Yellowstone River, some 15 miles, to then cross back over the Yellowstone River, and Intersection with I-94 at Custer, MT.


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(Photo = 105 0550 ...... ZMM Page = 098 ...... WayPt = 109i …… Photo at WayPt = 108w)

Yellowstone River at Myers Bridge, View Downstream

…. [“The valley is narrowing as we move toward the river’s source.
.... We’re also at a kind of beginning point in the things I’m discussing at which one can at last start to talk about Phædrus’ break from the mainstream of rational thought in pursuit of the ghost of rationality itself.
.... There was a passage he had read and repeated to himself so many times it survives intact. It begins:
.... In the temple of science are many mansions—and various indeed are they that dwell therein and the motives that have led them there. Many take to science out of a joyful sense of superior intellectual power; science is their own special sport to which they look for vivid experience and the satisfaction of ambition; … “ ]
…. many others are to be found in the temple who have offered the products of their brains on this altar for purely utilitarian purposes. Were an angel of the Lord to come and drive all the people belonging to these two categories out of the temple, it would be noticeably emptier but there would still be some men of both present and past times left inside . . . “ (Continued next.)
….Myers, MT. Note the low (rather shallow) river banks, and how relatively wide the river is. Contrary to what the Narrator says, the river has not noticeably gotten narrower, but this will be shown in the next and a later forth coming photo. Also note how the river’s smooth water here can be readily navigated here by a small boat. Then contrast with next picture downstream, showing more turbulence.

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(Photo = 105 0551c ...... ZMM Page = 097 ...... WayPt = 110w)

Yellowstone River at Myers Bridge, View Upstream

….[ “… many others are to be found in the temple who have offered the products of their brains on this altar for purely utilitarian purposes. Were an angel of the Lord to come and drive all the people belonging to these two categories out of the temple, it would be noticeably emptier but there would still be some men of both present and past times left inside -- “.]
….“If the types we have just expelled were the only types there were, the temple would never have existed any more than one can have a wood consisting of nothing but creepers—those who have found favor with the angel—are somewhat odd, uncommunicative, solitary fellows, really less like each other than the hosts of the rejected. “ (Continued next.)
Meyers, MT. Notice that the river upstream is narrower, with much higher river banks, than in the previous view downstream.
….Just as the Narrator says “the valley narrows“ as we “move toward the river’s source “.
….Also note in the distance, the appearance of rocks, shoals, and rapids. We can suppose that => Here is probably the end of continuous boat accessibility from either the ocean at New Orleans and/or the Appalachian mountains at Pittsburg.

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(Photo = 105 0552c ...... ZMM Page = 098 ...... WayPt = 110w)

My First View Of Actual "Yellow Stone”

… “‘What has brought them to the temple—no single answer will cover—escape from everyday life, with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one’s own shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from his noisy cramped surroundings into the silence of the high mountains where the eye ranges freely through the still pure air and fondly traces out the restful contours apparently built for eternity.’ … The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of the religious worshipper or lover. .. The passage is from a 1918 speech by a young German scientist named Albert Einstein. “ (Continued fm previous)
….(( I was not able to find a photo to show this above ZMM passage. Can anyone help? ))
Myers Road = Rt-311, From Myers Bridge, About Half Way Back To I-94 at Custer, MT.
….************** …
As Mentioned In The Third Photo Previous, My Story How I Got Here
….To Take The /\ Above /\ Photo
…..Back in July 2002, after I finished my ZMM Route Research in Hysham, MT, I wanted to find & continue toward Laurel, MT, on road(s) likely used by Robert Pirsig in 1968. .…
….At the time, I thought I was following the Old Rt 10: But somehow a wrong turn took me away from the any hint of Old Rt 10, and unfortunately followed Rt-311 = Myers Road, which went over the Yellowstone River, onto a maze of back country dirt roads”
….These formed a labyrinth of scattered road forks, in every which-a-way- nonsense. In sum, this turned into a long and anxious detour, and away from any recognizable road on my map! Even my GPS, was limited help!!”
…On a Satellite Map), the trace of Myers Road, is clear & easy to follow. However, back in July 2002, driving on the dirt road was anything but clear. I just kept going and following the largest most traveled track, and finally last gasp, tired, hot, and about out of gas, got back over the Yellowstone River, at the Intersection with I-94 at Custer, MT.”
….And now (July 28, 2021) as I type up this paragraph, I clearly remember => I My frantic, near panic, attempts to get back to “civilization”, and find a gas station, before car ran out of gas!!.
….But In Retrospect, For The Adventurous ZMM Traveler, Myers Road, Qualifies As A ZMM Quality Road!

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(Photo = 105-0553c ...... ZMM Page = 098 ...... Photo at WayPt = 112w)