Now We Are On The Next Tier Up & Looking Back Down At the Previous Rest Area’s Parking Lot
….You Can See the ZMM Narrator’s “Little Path.”
……Which Is Leading Out To (Look Close) The Rocky Promontory Of The =>
………Rock Creek Vista Point Viewing Platform Area.

….“ He would use this route to get into the high country, then backpack in from the road for three or four or five days, then come back out for more food and head back in again, needing these mountains in an almost physio-logical way..“

On The Next Tire Up, AFTER Rock Creek Vista Point, First Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Highway ~14 Miles South of Red Lodge, MT. : After leaving the Vista Point Parking Lot, The /\ Above /\ Photo was taken AFTER ~0.6 Mile, A Hairpin Switchback, and ~0.5 Miles “Come-Back”
… Look Closely and you will see the “Little Path.” all the way to the end of the Rocky Pinnacle Promontory!
…. To get the largest and best view, you may need to click twice on the photo.
……AND With the largest view, you can see Blue, Red, & Yellow People on it. AND You can see why this Rocky Promontory Rock Creek Vista Point Viewing Area gives Such A Dramatic View! In All Directions!!

. It Is Interesting To Compare A Satellite View With The /\ Above /\ Photo.

After You Click On the Blue Link Below =>
...A) THEN Zoom Out and This Satellite View Will ALSO Help You Understand The Landscape Context Of The Next ~30 Photos Of This Album =>

...B) And After You ZOOM Out => Please Study The Satellite View Of US-212, Which Travels The Absaroka Range & Beartooth Mountains of South Central Montana:
….You Can ZOOM OUT To See “The ZMM Route” Marked by US-212 => ALL THE WAY through Cook City, MT. & East Gate, MT to The North East Gate of Yellowstone National Park..
….. US-212, having served its Original National Purpose, ends At the North East Gate of Yellowstone National Park (YNP).
To Study This Satellite Map, Click Here.
*************************
(Photo = Summer2006 0033 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 135t)

Friday, July 12, 2024: … There It Is!!! …. A VERY Important “Hog Back Land Bridge” !!

*** STUDY THIS CLOSELY!!! ***
…Be Sure To Click On The Photo, To Get Largest View, Then With Magnify Glass =>

…. You Can See How The Pavement Of Our Highway Goes To The Right Out Of View, Then Swings To The Left In A Narrow Hard-To-See Strip,
…Then, Below The Largest Patch Of Snow, Our Highway Swings To The Right & Climbs Onto The Landbridge. And, Look Closely, Then Does A Left Turn SwitchBack, To Start Up This “Hog Back Land Bridge”!!

…Also, Look Closely To See About 1/3 Way Up, A Bit Of Pavement Between The Snow Banks.
…*******************

Along The Beartooth Highway, In The Center Of The Beartooth Plateau, MN-WY Border Region, About 18.5 Miles Southwest of Red Lodge, MT.
…*******************

…The NEXT Photo Shows A Closer View. Taken Where You See The Road Is Below The Largest Patch Of Snow

File = DSC 0245 Resize1504x1000 ~154KB

Friday, July 12, 2024: … Continued From Previous Photo …. A VERY Important “Hog Back Land Bridge !!!

*** AGAIN STUDY THIS CLOSELY!!! ***
…Be Sure To Click On The Photo, To Get Largest View, Then With Magnify Glass =>

…. You Can See How Our Highway Goes Down, And Then Curves Down To The Left, And Then (Out Of View). Does A Right Turn Switchback, To Start UpOnTo The “Hog Back Land Bridge”!! … This Is Where You See The First Of FIVE Tiers Of Elevation, Each Of Which Is Followed By a 180 Degree Switchback, As Is Will Be Clearly Seen In The NEXT Photo.

…Also Again, Look Closely To See About 1/3 Way Up, A Bit Of Pavement Between The Snow Banks.
…*******************

Along The Beartooth Highway, In The Center Of The Beartooth Plateau, MN-WY Border Region, About 18.5 Miles Southwest of Red Lodge, MT.
…*******************

…For One Of The World’s Highest Paved Highways, In The NEXT Photo, You May Extensively Learn About The HUGE IMPORTANCE Of This => Beartooth Highway Climbing a “Hogback” ….Which, For Human Travelers, Is A Highly Important Geographic & Geological Formation.

…NOTE1: Concerning the information of the NEXT Photo => Please read it completely and then The FOLLOWING TWO Gallery Photos will have much ADDITIONAL Information & An Important Satellite View and Topo Map Photo, which will greatly increase your understanding of this Vital Place In The Center Of the Beartooth Plateau.

…NOTE2: In my Summer of 2002 ZMM Route Research, when I Henry Gurr,, first drove the Beartooth Highway, I had no aware ness of the “Hog Back Land Bridge”, and of course no conception of its importance. And an emerging awareness ONLY started, when got to wondering why Montana Highway Department continues to use this stretch of road, despite the monster high winter snow buildup here. Eventually, I studied Topo Maps of the Beartooth Plateau, and found there was no other feasible connecting Land-Bridge, Between Two Otherwise Separated Major Hi Altitude Beartooth Plateau Areas.
…Now, because of the HUGE A) Importance of the “Hog Back Land Bridge, and this B) “no other feasible”, are not to be found in publications, you will therefore find an extensive discussion of this topic in the NEXT 21 Photos, especially Concerning Winter Snow Deposits.
…*******************

New Topic => In 1968, When ON This Land Bridge, The ZMM Narrator Says =>
… “The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. Then the tunnel opens onto dark sky again and when we emerge we see we’re at the summit.
Beyond is another country. .”
…In addition to Henry Gurr 2002 ZMM Research Photos of Very High Snow Banks, the Click Here For Opening Photo Showing A Great View Of A Beartooth Pass Snow Bank, a photo taken from the Lowest Tier of the mentioned previous photos, Hog Back Land Bridge, AND A Great View Of The Mountain Scenery Of The ZMM Narrator’s => “Beyond Is Another Country. ”
NOTE: The above Blue Link also has a second good but small Merv Coleman Photo of => “The Most Scenic Route to Yellowstone Park”, as well as a good full discussion of => “The most beautiful roadway in America”, stated by On the Road correspondent Charles Kuralt, the Beartooth Highway climbs to an astounding 10,947 feet above sea level.”

File = DSC 0248 Resize1504x1000 ~154KB

In The Center Of The Beartooth Plateau, We See => A Dramatic Aerial View Of The Beartooth Highway Climbing a “Hogback”!
….This “Hogback”, As A Geographic & Geological Formation => Is Practically The ONLY Connecting Land-Bridge, Between Two Otherwise Separated Major Hi Altitude Beartooth Plateau Areas.
….Beyond The “Hogback”, You See Gardner Lake and A Deep Valley In Shoshone National Forest.
….Here, A Unique Combination Of Geological & Geographic Mountain Features Propel This “Hogback” Area To Become Significant To The ZMM Narrator.

….“. 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. Soon we are between banks of old snow, the way snow looks in early spring after a thaw.“
….To See A Dramatic Example of The ZMM Narrator’s .“.between banks of old snow “ => RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB”

Beartooth Highway, ~2 Miles Straight South of Montana-Wyoming Border, Central Beartooth Plateau, MT-WY Border Area. This Dramatic Aerial View
…Serves To Start The Following Discussion Of just how Super Deep “Walls Of Snow” Comes To Be Here, and Earlier Along The Beartooth Highway.

DATE-LINE: April 2, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
…TO ORIENT THE READER TO NEXT 21 PHOTOS, CONCERNING WINTER SNOW DEPOSITS. =>
.…Here STARTS => An Interlude & Explanation, Which Will Then Be Followed By Forthcoming 1) A Helpful Satellite Photo View, and Then 2) A Helpful Topo Map.
..****************..
..A) The “Land-Bridge Formation”, shown in /\ Above /\ Photo, is very important for the Beartooth Plateau, in that it is the ONLY practical way for Humans (whether hunters, prospectors, build highways, or other travel) to move North-South, between Two Otherwise Deep Canyon Separated Major High Altitude Land Surfaces. This Will be fully illustrated in the SECOND Next Photo of a Topographical Map.
..B) Moreover => The sharp & very steep slopes, on both sides of this “Hogback”, Act Upon Overflowing Eastward Winter Winds coming along connecting valleys, from the relatively close Rock Creek Valley => Here do an aerodynamic “up-sweep + swirl” action, that nicely drops deep layers of snow hereabouts => One such dramatic, area of really deep snow, is shown in the Next Satellite View Photo. … (Similar geographic features happen at the “Beartooth Highway’s Summer Ski Area” NW of here.)
..C) In the /\ Above /\ Photo, you see none of this snow: And as is true for my (Henry Gurr, Sept 2006) Photos, depending on season, & how steep is local landscape shielding from the sun, all the snow can be still there in some places, and in other places, be all melted away. This is with no remaining evidence of any snow having been there, as is the case in /\ Above /\ Photo.
.. D) By opposite contrast, the ZMM Narrator in Early July 1968, & Henry Gurr in June 2002, readily found “Walls Of Snow” along US-212 Beartooth Highway. Thus we can see that deep snow can be there up through early July, but be all gone by September.
..E) As you read 1) This Photo Caption, and 2) the Next Satellite View Photo Caption. and 3) The SECOND Next Photo of a Topographical Map => Please make mental note of the Various Named Places AND Their Physical Locations. This will help you as you read the Forthcoming Photos. .
..F) Here I must say => From both of my 2002 AND 2006 ZMM Route Research Trips through this Beartooth Plateau, I understood NONE of A) & B) above relationships! … It was from CLOSE study of the above mentioned Satellite Views, combined with CLOSE study of the above mentioned Topo Maps, did I even begin to start to “Tease Out”, the above A) & B) discussion and understanding.
..G) In fact, it was ONLY the ~Accidental Discovery of The /\ Above /\ “Hogback” Aerial Photo by Merv Coleman, which AHA, spurred me to start me studying all of this closely!! … AND of course all this entirely new understanding is now edit modified, into this Caption AND the Captions Of Forthcoming Next Photos.
..H) For any of these Forthcoming Photos => You may need to click several times on the photo, to get the largest and best view.

PHOTO CREDIT: By Merv Coleman (YellowstoneCountry, Aug 2017)
....Coleman Photography, 223 Broadway Ave S #1249, Red Lodge, MT 59068 Phone: (800) 726-2228 << NO work. Goog finds 406) 446-1228 << which works.
....
The /\ Above /\ Photo Is Courtesy Of Tripadvisor
*************************

(Photo = www.tripadvisor.ca-#276854502%beartooth-highway-photo{MervColemanAug2017.jpg ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 144w)

A Satellite View Of Central Beartooth Plateau, MT-WY Border Region=>
…. Showing At Upper Center The Beartooth Highway. US-212, =>
..A) You Can See Green Labels =>
……1) Five Levels of Switchbacks Climbing a “Hogback”.
……2) Narrator’s “Twin Walls Of Snow” => Look Real Close To See Highway US-212 There AND REMEMBER, B/c This Exact Place is Several Times Featured is Forth Coming Photos.
……3) Four More Green labels, Worthy Of Your Close Attention.
..B) Lower Center & Lower Right, The Very Dark Areas Are Respectively Gardner Lake & Christmas Lake.
..C) Above Words “Beartooth Basin”, The Dark Roundish Area Is An Unnamed Lake, Upstream From (unseen) “Twin Lakes” =>
NOTE: These “Twin Lakes” Are Significant Because They a) Are A Quite Noticeable “Land-Mark” In Photos & Satellite, AND b) Mark The Lower End Of Ski Lifts, Which Are In Turn A Great Summer Skiing Area. The Top Of These Ski Lifts Are Accessed Along A Snowy Stretch of The Beartooth Highway, and The Subject of Forthcoming Photos..
..D) In The /\ Above /\ Satellite View => Practically Every Patch of White (Big Or Small) Is Snow.
..E) In The Lower Left Of Photo Are Some of The Largest & Whiter Patches Showing Large Banks Of Evident Deep Snow!
..F) Cont: Especially Note The Super SOLID WHITE, HUGE & DEEP SNOW, Just SE of. The “Hogback”
..G) As Stated In Previous Aerial Photo, AND You Can See In NEXT Toto Map =>
..H) This Geographic “Hogback” Formation Is Practically The ONLY Connecting Land-Bridge, Between Two Otherwise Separated Major High Altitude Beartooth Plateau Areas.
..I) Here A Unique Combination Of Geological & Geographic Mountain Features Propel This “Hogback” Formation, To Become Significant To The ZMM Narrator, In His Writing “Twin Walls Of Snow” => Next Down. =>

[ ….”Soon we are between banks of old snow, the way snow looks in early spring after a thaw. ” ]
…. “Little streams of water run everywhere into mossy mud, and then below this into week-old grass and then small wildflowers, the tiny pink and blue and yellow and white ones which seem to pop out, sun-brilliant, from black shadows. Everywhere it’s like this! Little pins of colored light shoot forth to me from a background of somber dark green and black. Dark sky now and cold. Except where the sun hits. On the sun side my arm and leg and jacket are hot, but the dark side, in deep shadows now, is very cold.” ….
…. “The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. Then the tunnel opens onto dark sky again and when we emerge we see we’re at.” [The start of “The Hogback” and soon will be at ] the summit.
….Beyond is another country. Mountain lakes and pines and snowfields are below. Above and beyond them as far as we can see are farther mountain ranges covered with snow. The high country.”

Beartooth Highway, ~2 Miles Straight South of Montana-Wyoming Border, In The Center Beartooth Plateau, Near MT-WY Border. The /\ Above /\ Satellite View shows the central region of the Beartooth Plateau: This View also includes The Ski Lift Area Along The Beartooth Highway.
….As you read the “Interlude” below, the /\ Above /\ Satellite View Will Help You Understand 1) The dynamics of just what causes these Super Deep “Walls Of Snow”: And 2) Why these “Walls Of Snow” happen to be along the Steepest Edges of Rock Creek Canyon.
..****************..

A Continued Interlude & Explanation, Which Will Be Followed By NEXT PHOTO “A Helpful Topo Map”.
…. As you read below (also Next Photo of a Topographical Map), please make mental note of the Various Named Places AND Their Physical Locations. This will help you as you read the Next ~28 Forthcoming Photos. .

…..Why Is Left Half Of The /\ Above /\ Satellite View Dramatically White With Snow? ((Which Is Typically NOT True Of Most Of The High Altitude Beartooth Plateau.))
.. Here it will be important for you Dear Reader to keep in mind this B) below, which was already mentioned as B) in Previous Photo =>.
..B) Due to the sharp & very steep slopes on both sides of this “Hogback” ((As was seen Previous Photo Lower Right, where you saw how VERY steep is the slope on this side of this “Hogback” )), this steep slope & sharp top edge, act on Snow carrying Eastward Flowing Winter Winds coming along connecting valleys ((off screen to left of /\ Above /\ Satellite View)) from the relatively close Rock Creek Valley, even further to left (West) => Here winter winds do an aerodynamic “up-sweep + swirl” action, that nicely drops deep layers of snow hereabouts, as is dramatically shown in the /\ Above /\ Satellite View Photo.
… Similar geographic features happen at the “Beartooth Highway’s Summer Ski Area”, along the Beartooth Highway =>
…..In /\ Above /\ Satellite View =>
….1) This Summer Ski Area is along US-212 just above where you see US-212 go off the photo edge, upper right. There is no Winter Ski Activity here, because the Beartooth Highway is closed in Winter.
….2) As was shown and mentioned in the previous Aerial Photo, to Lower Right is Gardner Lake, which as you see is in a Deep Valley In Shoshone National Forest..

SIDE NOTES:
…A) In the /\ Above /\ Satellite View Lower Left => You see a roughly square area that => Has an extra whiteness. ….We can surmise that this is due to this portion, being photographed, at different conditions. These might be more Snowy Wintery Conditions, or Sun Illumination, etc.
…B) For any of these Forthcoming Photos => You may need to click several times on the photo, to get the largest and best view.
…C) To Do Your OWN Study Of The /\ Above /\ Shown Satellite Map, Click Here.
************************************
(Photo = GoogSat SwBksHogbackBeartooothHy+RedPinHsgWayPr141i+Snow+WherZmmPix2.jpg..... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 144w)

….As You Read The Below, Please Make Mental Note Of The Various Named Places AND Their Physical Locations. This Will Help You As You Read The Forthcoming Photos.

A Topographic Map Of The Beartooth Plateau Showing Just Left of Center =>
..A) The Beartooth Highway, US-212, Climbing a “Hogback”.
..B) At Center Also Note =>The Black Bold Labels => 1) “Switchbacks Climb ‘Hogback’ “, 2) “Walls Of Snow”, and 3) “Camera Location of WayPt = 141i.”
..C) Below Center Note Two Light Blue => “Gardner Lake” & “Christmas Lake”.
..D) Above Center Note Light Blue => The Roundish Area Above Word “Switchbacks” => This Is An Unnamed Lake, Upstream From Where You see “Twin Lakes” => The “Unnamed Lake” and “The “Twin Lakes” Are Significant, Because They Mark The Lower End Of Ski Lifts, Which Are In Turn => Great Summer Skiing Down From A Close By Snowy Stretch of The Beartooth Highway, Which You Also See. These Are Subject of (And Shown In), Forthcoming Photos.
..E) To The Right of The “Twin Lakes”, You See “Wyoming Creek, Subject of Many Previous Photos.
..F) In The /\ Above /\ Topo Map => The Relatively Uncluttered Whitish Areas Are Mountain Peaks of the Central Beartooth Plateau.
..G) As Stated Previous Photo, AND As You Can See In /\ Above /\ Toto Map =>
……1) From The Top of The Above Topo, To Its Bottom => You Can Follow US-212 South, And In So Doing => You Will See The Marked “Hogback” Formation Is
……2) Practically The ONLY “Non-Deep-Valley” Geographic Connecting Land-Bridge, For A Highway To Go South, And Then West, To Yellowstone National Park.
..H) AND Remember => Because This “Hogback” Is Narrow & Quite Steep, It Creates A Wind Action, That Hereabouts Deposits Deep Snow! Most Especially SE of This Above-Mentioned “Hogback”.
I) Thus => This Is Where => A Unique Combination Of Geological & Geographic Mountain Features Propel This Area To Become Significant To The ZMM Narrator.
..**********************..

…. “The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. Then the tunnel opens onto dark sky again and when we emerge we see we’re at.” [The start of “The Hogback” and soon will be at ] the summit.
….Beyond is another country. Mountain lakes and pines and snowfields are below. Above and beyond them as far as we can see are farther mountain ranges covered with snow. The high country.”

Beartooth Highway, In The Center Of Beartooth Plateau, MN-WY Border Region. This /\ Above /\ Topographic Map View, Serves To Illustrate and Finish This Discussion Of => A) Just how Super Deep “Walls Of Snow” Just Happen To Be HERE. B) And show these in the /\ Above /\ Map View, and as well C) At The Ski Lift Along The Beartooth Highway.

To Finish This Interlude Explanation, The Following REPEATS Previous Photo’s =>
….Here it is sufficient for you, Dear Reader, to keep in mind, as already mentioned in Previous Photos =>.
..B) Due The sharp & very steep slopes on both sides of this “Hogback”, Eastward Flowing, Winter Winds coming Eastward along connecting valleys, from the relatively close Rock Creek Valley => Here do an aerodynamic “up-sweep + swirl” action, that nicely drops deep layers of snow hereabouts, as was dramatically shown in the Previous Satellite View Photo. … Similar geographic features happen at the “Beartooth Highway’s Summer Ski Area”, which are “up the steep slope”, East of the “Twin Lakes”, which is seen in /\ Above /\ Topo Map, at the twin blue areas, above Word “Camera”,.
..E) As you read the above, please make mental note of the Various Named Places AND Their Physical Locations. This will help you as you read the Forthcoming Photos. .
..F) For any of these Forthcoming Photos => You may need to click several times on the photo, to get the largest and best view.

..************..
To Do Your OWN Study Of The /\ Above /\ Shown Topographic Map, Click Here.
************************************
(Photo = TopoZnFulScrnBeartoothHy&Mts Diag}GlacierLake-Bennett ForShoAlbmZmmPt2 Wher2.jpg
...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 144wt)

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.“

On Beartooth Highway, 1.5 Straight Line Miles SouthSouthEast Of Rock Creek Vista Point First Roadside Rest Area, ~14 Miles South of Red Lodge, MT. In the /\ Above /\ Photo, between the grassy tundra and the far 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 Southeast to Northwest. This was the Wyoming Creek Canon that you saw a close-up of 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, but from a distance.
*********
…. NEW TOPIC1: The tinge of blue at right is where the clouds will later open. This is West, and to keep oriented, you should remember this direction, since even more “blue patches of sky” will appear in forthcoming photos. …. The tinge of red in THIS photo and NEXT, is because this is the direction of sunset and the end of the day is approaching.
….NEW TOPIC2: “the ocean“ and “the bottom of the ocean“ are Master Motifs in The ZMM Book. The Idea of a Master Motif has been discussed in Previous Photos. And the above two Italic-ed Words you will see more of in Forthcoming Photos.
….NEW TOPIC3: “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.
….By Contrast => A Valley is a Norman French term more often used in the Eastern USA. A valley, also a water formed cut, is typically “V”-Shaped with more gently sloping sides and green with vegetation.
….By Contrast => A canyon with very precipitous sides (walls) is a gorge. In ZMM, the word “gorge” is used twice in ZMM => a) The above passage (on page 110), and b) Once more in reference to a dry rocky cut in Oregon’s "driest country yet.“.(on page 288)

*************************
(Photo = 106-0620 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 136`|k|' 9554ft)

….The ZMM Narrator’s High Country , BOTH Physical Landscape and Mental-Philosophic Landscape.

…. “Soon stunted pines disappear entirely and we’re in alpine meadows. There’s not a tree anywhere, only grass everywhere … We’ve reached the high country, above the timberline. “

On Beartooth Highway, 1.5 Straight Line Miles SouthSouthEast Of Rock Creek Vista Point First Roadside Rest Area, ~14 Miles South of Red Lodge, MT.
..****************..

Ever Since Laurel MT => We (With The ZMM Narrator) Have Been Moving Up & Towards => ….The Narrator’s “High Country “
….THE ZMM NARRATIVE IS NOW **IN** “ THE HIGH COUNTRY “ AND **AT** “THE SOURCE” OF => BOTH =>
….1) The Melt Water of Rock Creek AND
….2) The Source Of Western Philosophy,
At which point (one page after the above ZMM Passage), the ZMM Narrator takes up the discussion of his own version of The Historical Development of Western Philosophy: This Narrator’s High Country “ is on the last half of ZMM page 110 plus 1/2 of page 111: AND is poetically getting us ready, by analogy, for the “ High Country of the Mind. “.
…This is the Narrator’s way of introducing us to his next 9 pages of his Chautauqua on Western Philosophy. These lectures cover the Narrator’s version of how our 20th Century thinking came to be as it is, as well as related rationality/scientific developments. ….The motorcycle is used as a concrete illustration of “a priori concepts“.
…. He also shows the ugly consequences of these modes of thinking in our culture.
…******************
The ZMM Narrative Is Building To A Climax, As We Move Towards The Narrator’s “High Country ‘Summit’.
…..Below Is A Brief Synopsis Of Road Ahead, And Sights Along The Way. “
…After US-212 had completed several more switchbacks, we have as seen in the /\ Above /\ Photo, climbed to the higher somewhat level area of the Beartooth Plateau: Here we see in the distance the cut of Rock Creek Canyon (Narrator’s gorge). And as we traveled further South, the plateau scenery will continue to be similar, and we will be moving further away from Rock Creek Canyon.
….Click on the Photo several times to get the largest view, then look closely to the right, where you see the cut of Wyoming Creek. …. The Rock Creek Vista Point Rest Area is unseen, below where you see these two “cuts” meet.
…. Along US-212, we will see Rock Creek Canyon again in the distance, while overlooking The “Twin Lakes & The “Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area”.
….After this, the highway takes us Southeast and away from Rock Creek Canyon.
…. Finally, the road swings West by Northwest to a kind of “Land-Bridge Formation”, which in this Photo Album is called. “The Hogback”: As was fully illustrated in Previous Interlude => a) Aerial Photo, b) Satellite View, and c) Topographical Map => this Formation is very important for the Beartooth Plateau, in that it is the ONLY practical way for Humans to move (highways or hunters, or prospectors, or otherwise), North-South, between Two Otherwise Separated Major Hi Altitude Land Surfaces.
….More-Over, you will see how VERY steep is the slope on this sides of this “Hogback”: This steep slope & sharp top edge, Act Upon Snow Carrying Overflowing Eastward Winter Winds coming Eastward along connecting valleys, from the relatively close Rock Creek Canyon => Here do an aerodynamic “up-sweep + swirl” action, that nicely drops deep layers of snow hereabouts => One such dramatic area of really deep snow area, of which the ZMM Narrator says “The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow.”
… … Similar geographic features also cause deep snow, at the “Beartooth Highway’s Summer Ski Area”, above mentioned earlier along the Beartooth Highway.

*************************
(Photo = 106-0620cz2.0 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt =136i. Photo at 136`|k|' 9554ft)

In An Alpine Meadow, Beside A Ditch Filled With Show-Melt, These White Blossoms Pop-Up Everywhere!
…. “Only Grass Everywhere Filled With Little Pink And Blue And White Dots Of Intense Color.“

….[ “Soon we are between banks of old snow, the way snow looks in early spring after a thaw. “ ] “ Little streams of water run everywhere into mossy mud, and then below this into week-old grass and then small wildflowers, the tiny pink and blue and yellow and white ones which seem to pop out, sun-brilliant, from black shadows. Everywhere it’s like this! Little pins of colored light shoot forth to me from a background of somber dark green and black. Dark sky now and cold. Except where the sun hits. On the sun side my arm and leg and jacket are hot, but the dark side, in deep shadows now, is very cold.“ [There’s not a tree anywhere,] “only grass everywhere filled with little pink and blue and white dots of intense color.“

~1.5 Straight Line Miles SouthSouthEast Of Rock Creek Vista Point First Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Highway, MT. Even these beautifully phrased flower descriptions of ZMM page 110, are poetically getting us ready, by analogy, for the ZMM Narrator’s “ High Country of the Mind“, where there are “ Little pins of colored [philosophical] light shoot forth to me from a background of somber [every day normal thinking] ...little pink and blue and white dots of intense [philosophical thinking]“ !!
. ..****************..

….During My 2002 ZMM Route Research Trip, I Captured In Photographs An Example Of Practically Every Flower I Saw.
…. However, as you can see in My “Flowers” Album Photographs In The Highest Elevations Of Beartooth Plateau Click Here, I Did Not Find The ZMM Narrator’s Colors. such as the area of the /\ Above /\ Photo at this WayPt =136 at 9554 feet.
…Here, and higher elevations, are where I looked for but did not see “pink and blue flowers“. In fact, such flowers I did not see until well after the snow fields and return to elevations below 9500 feet. What could be the reasons for this absence? Reasons could be =>
..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 different 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 =>
…. The Real Physical Landscape Scene,
……..And By Analogy => The Mental & Philosophic Landscape Scene!

************************
(Photo = 106-0619 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt =136`|k|' 9554ft)

A Celebration of Wildflowers Pinpoints the High Country With Dots of Color!

….[ “ … and then small wildflowers, the tiny pink and blue and yellow and white ones which seem to pop out, sun-brilliant, from black shadows. Everywhere it’s like this! Little pins of colored light shoot forth to me from a background of somber dark green and black.“ ]

~4.9 Straight Line Miles SouthSouthWest Of Rock Creek Vista Point First Roadside Rest Area, Beartooth Highway, MT. As noted the previous photo, I looked for, but did not see “pink and blue flowers“ until after I came down to elevations below 9600 feet.

My Photos Are Opposite To The ZMM Narrator's High Altitude Sun Illumination Polemic.
….The ZMM passage above describes the sharp “black shadows“ that result from intense brilliant sunlight in high altitude low humidity air. These are also the conditions for the Narrator's darker “ black-blue sky“ directly overhead.
….However, as mentioned earlier, my photos of the high country do not show the Narrator's high altitude sun illumination polemic. My photos were taken in opposite conditions, high humidity and dark, very cloudy skies.
….Thus, in /\ Above /\ Photo, you see no dark shadows, nor even hardly any shadow. But even with, or because of the overcast conditions, my photos still show “… yellow and white ones which seem to pop out … “ from the watery mud with lots of somber browns in the dead grass.
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(Photo = 106-0639cz1.2 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 140i2 10920ft. Photo at = 148`|w|' 9578ft)

Water and Mud Plus Tender Tiny Shoots of New Grass!

….[ “ Little streams of water run everywhere into mossy mud, and then below this into week-old grass … “ ]

~4.9 Straight Line Miles SouthSouthWest Of Rock Creek Vista Point First Roadside Rest Area, Along The Pavement, Where See Snow Banks, Beartooth Highway, WY. Many places that have snow banks are in areas that are relatively level. Here the melt water will run slowly and collect easily, making mud.
….For some reason I failed to take photographs of this mud after the snow banks, so I must substitute photos taken later.
….Please contact me if you are willing to help with needed photos along the ZMM Route. If you notice errors or have suggestions, please contact me. **************************

AN EXCERPT FROM BILLINGS GAZETTE SERVES TO INTRODUCE THE NEXT PHOTO.:
…. Just 23 miles south of Red Lodge is the only summer-specific ski destination in North America, Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area, where proficient skiers and boarders find the cool way to enjoy hot weather [when it comes at low altitudes].
….“This is for advanced skiers that are traveling to the Beartooth Pass with the intent to do some riding and skiing routes that are accessed via the highway,” said Austin Hart, manager at Beartooth Basin. “The Basin is not your average ski hill – we don’t have a lot of amenities and we don’t sell much outside of lift tickets and a unique riding experience.”
Twin Lakes Headwall Terrain
….600 acres of very steep skiing terrain that varies in pitch from 15 to 50 degrees – this is not for the faint of heart. The headwall has two high-speed platter lifts that pulls skiers along the surface of the slope at 850 degrees of vertical assist.
….With an elevation of 10,900 feet and 1,000 feet of lift serviced straight up, the surrounding areas offer 3,000 vertical feet of hike-in backcountry skiing and riding. Hardcore skiers can hike an additional 100-200 feet with the Twin Lakes headwall – even more to ski to the lakes.
….“The tourists walk to the edge of the slope and point down, commenting on how crazy all the skiers are. Most guests that ride at the Basin aren’t your average tourist,” said Mr. Hart.
….Although $ payment or a subscription may be required => For Remainder Original Newspaper Article, Click Here.
(Photo = 106-0640cz2.8 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 140i 10920ft. Photo at = 148`|k|' ft)

South Of Red Lodge, MT: The First Major Snow Field Is Seen Where Is Also =>
….A Grand Summer Super Steep 10 – 50 Degree Ski Slope & Ski Lift Area. Being Touristy, This Ski Facility Is UN-MENTIONED By The ZMM Narrator.
….Standing Beside The Ski Lift Parking Lot, and Looking Over the Steep Snow Banks =>
…. As Shown & Mentioned In Previous Interlude => a) Satellite View, and b) Topographical Map => We See A Large Side Canyon, As Well As One Of The “Twin Lakes”.
…….From Here, Just Right Of Center We Can Look Beyond A Tree Covered Ridge And See Partway Down Into A Short Section Of Rock Creek Canyon, and Of Course The. Narrator’s “Gorge”

…. [“ 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. “ ]
….“ 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. “

4.9 Miles Straight Line SouthSouthWest of Rock Creek Vista Point Rest Area, and ~2 Miles Direct South Of Montana Border into Wyoming, Beartooth Highway, East Central Beartooth Plateau, WY. Click photo for largest view. A ski lift and parking lot is to the left, in this West view.
..****************..

For A Satellite View of Central Beartooth Plateau, With Summer Ski Area In CENTER SCREEN, Click Here.
..****************..

….The ZMM Narrator Reports His “ … Engine Backfires Fiercely From Lack Of Oxygen And Threatens To Stop” …
….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?
..****************..

The ZMM Narrator Mentions “ One Last View Of The Gorge. “ But Nary A Whisper of The Tourist Attraction Ski Area!
….The /\ Above /\ Photo shows The Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area, which includes a view partway down into a short section of Rock Creek Canyon, O/c The. Narrator’s “Gorge”: This factually, is indeed the LAST place to see Rock Creel Canyon {Gorge_ from US-212, because indeed thereafter =>.“ The road turns inward, away from the gorge … “
….AND Although the Narrator says “ I look over my shoulder for one last view of the gorge. ” [exactly here looking beyond The Twin Lakes], he says nothing about the equally OBVIOUS “Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area” with Big Signs immediately beside the Beartooth Highway (US-212).
….As discussed in earlier photos, this is another circumstance where => The ZMM Narrator completely bypassed and never mentions the many, many, quite interesting places, all of them quite close the ZMM travel route!!
..****************..

….For A Google Street View (GSV) Showing Similar To /\ Above /\ Photo, Right Click and Open In A New Tab. AFTER this GSV Comes Up, You May ClickDrag The Left Side Panel To Access More Photos & Panoramas.

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(Photo = 106-0621s ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 137w & 138w 10,924ft)

About 2.3 Miles South Of The Montana-Wyoming Border =>
….Looking Further South At The Mountains & Valleys of Wyoming’s Beartooth Plateau.
….We Are Looking Ahead To The Photos & Discussion Of => The ZMM Narrator’s High Country , BOTH Physical Landscape and Mental-Philosophic Landscape!

….[ “Dark sky now and cold. Except where the sun hits. On the sun side my arm and leg and jacket are hot, but the dark side, in deep shadows now, is very cold.“ ]

~ 1/4 Mile South of Ski Area, Beartooth Highway, Shoshone National Forest, WY. Now we have passed the first two maximum elevations on the Beartooth Highway.
..1) Near the Ski Area (10.938 ft).
..2) And factually the highest elevation of this highway (10,982 ft).
My notes and my GPS both show that we come down slightly to an elevation at (WayPt = 141`|w|' 10,968 feet) for the /\ Above /\ Photo.
..****************..
Please Notice In /\ Above /\ Photo =>
..A) My photo vantage point is on the edge of the pavement. Note the “only rocks” rubble pile, pushed over to make the mountain’s slope level for the highway. This is evidence that up here there is almost pure broken stone under the grass! This shows there is practically no top soil up here. It could be called “only rocky soil”!
..B) Also, please note general appearance of the rolled edge of the storm clouds, which are Running North to South. And note the opening in the clouds with the white blue sky (West).
..C) Remember all this in above B) => It will help you stay direction oriented in the photos to come. For examples =>
….1) You will see a Forthcoming Photo taken on the far side of that snow speckled closer range. This is seven miles further south, and in it => You will also see the same patch of sky, but by that point, the final downward descent from The ZMM Narrator’s High Country will be evident.
….2) Just beyond this valley ahead, you see another plateau practically level to here. Remember this general appearance, since it will help you understand the Six Photos FOLLOWING the ZMM Narrator’s “Tunnel of Snow”.
….3) At left edge of photo => Beyond the grassy slope, you can see the continuation of the road descending down toward a low area (valley), which is behind the snow covered mount at right. Remember this general appearance, because => In the NEXT Photo September2006 0075, you will see the same stretch of highway, that will finally show the previously much discussed “Hogback”, which is behind the snow covered mount at right.

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(Photo = 106-0625 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 141`|w|' 10,968ft)

A Scenic View Showing the Five Switchback Road =>
….Which Climbs ”The Steep Hogback Land-Bridge Formation” =>.
……And Shows Where the Narrator Found “The Twin Walls of Snow".“

….[ “ The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. “ ] “ Then the tunnel opens onto dark sky again and when we emerge we see we’re at the summit.
….Beyond is another country. Mountain lakes and pines and snowfields are below. Above and beyond them as far as we can see are farther mountain ranges covered with snow. The high country. “

AFTER The Distant Horizon Ridge Is The ZMM Narrator’s “High Country“, Beartooth Highway, WY..In /\ Above /\ Photo Center Screen, , just over the rocks left center, you see the downward trending road ahead. This is the SAME stretch of road shown in the Previous Photo.
….The road then somewhat turns left, and then starts to climb up this somewhat narrow "hogback", and follows a series of 5 switchbacks, steadily climbing 6% grade, to finally go over (unseen) The ZMM Narrator’s at the summit…. Beyond is another country. … The high country.
..****************..

….Here Please Remember The Previous Interlude Discussion At =>
…..The “Dramatic Aerial View” Photograph =>
………A Dramatic Aerial View Of The Beartooth Highway Climbing a “Hogback”!
..****************..
….AND NOW => In the /\ Above /\ Photo, with your Memory of The Previous => “Dramatic Aerial View” Photograph => You should delight to discern this well remembered “Hogback Land-Bridge Formation”, but of course seen from a vantage point about a mile away and from quite a different angle.
….On this Land-Bridge is exactly the location of the Narrator’s “ The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. We move through twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. Then the tunnel opens onto dark sky again and when we emerge we see we’re at the summit. ".

To Help Prepare Your Eyes And Mind => To Really See What Is There!!
….Please Keep In Mind =>The Following Forthcoming Photo Sequence.
..A) A Magnified Telephoto View Of The /\ Above /\ Photo, taken from this same WayPt = 141 location.
..B) FIVE Forthcoming Photos showing “ six feet, then twelve feet high. " The snow in these 5 photos happens to be (as seen in /\ Above /\ Photo) up from the rocks the first tier, which is after the first switchback at left.
….AND then “ twin walls, almost a tunnel of snow. " is just after the second switchback a bit let of photo center seen /\ Above /\. => =>
….These 5 Photos Will Show The Narrator's ""Ever Deepening Snow”
….THEN “Twin Walls Of Snow” . As Follows =>
..1) 100 feet prior to.
..2) 15 feet prior to.
..3) 15 feet prior to (close up).
..4) At the 2nd switchback.
..5) At the 2nd switchback (close up).
..****************..

…DATE-LINE: April 10, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
As Has Been Discussed Previously At => Way, Way, Previous Interlude “Dramatic Aerial View” Photograph =>
…..In Traveling This Road Twice (2002, 2006), I Did Not At All Know Any Of This Or Even Begin To Appreciate =>
..A) The dramatic nature of how this road crosses over that narrow, steeply inclined, Land-Bridge called in this album “Hogback” or alternate name "Razorback".
..B) The fact it's the only way to transfer between two broader highland plateaus, and thus
..C) This Land-Bridge makes it FAR EASIER, AND MAKES POSSIBLE to construct the Beartooth Highway, from Red Lodge, MT to Yellowstone National Park.
..D) Here A Unique Combination Of Geological & Geographic Mountain Features Propel This “Hogback” Land Bridge, To Become Significant (Very Deep Show) To The ZMM Narrator.
..E) It was ONLY from CLOSE study of Previous Interlude => a) Aerial Photo, b) Satellite View, and c) Topographical Map => Combined with CLOSE study of previously shown Interlude Topo Maps, ONLY THEN did I (Henry Gurr) even begin to start to “Tease Out” the above A), B), C), D), & E) discussion and understanding.
..F) In fact, it was the ~Accidental Discovery of the previously shown Interlude “Dramatic Aerial View” Photograph by Merv Coleman, which, AHA, spurred me to study all of this closely!!
..G) AND of course all this new understanding is now edit modified into the Previous and Forthcoming Photos & Captions.
CONCLUSION:
….If you plan to travel this way, study this photo to prepare your eyes and mind to really see what is here!! Ditto for continued viewing in this Photo Album!

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(Photo = September 2006 0075 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 141m 10,836ft)

Although This Photo Was Originally Taken To Show the Angry Clouds, It Does Show A Telephoto Magnified View of =>
...A) The Upper “Hogback” With The TOP TWO Stretches of Switchbacked Road, Which At The Very Top, Disappear Over The Horizon.
...B) ALSO Seen Very Faintly, Look Close At Far Right, Is The Ghostly Outline Of The Rightly Famous “Beartooth Mountain”!
…C) As Mentioned Previous Photo, the Blue Sky Is Direction West.

“ .... we see we’re at the summit.“

High Country, Beartooth Pass, WY. This photo was taken from the same vantage point as the previous photo, but Telephoto “Zoomed-In” to show a detail close up view of the very top of the Hogback Land Bridge Formation, and the surrounding land. This is the Landscape beyond and higher up from => The ZMM Narrator’s “The Twin Walls of Snow.“
….Double click the photo to get the largest view => Then you can study the switchbacks to the highest elevations which you can faintly see at the horizon.
….The ZMM Narrator’s => “ we see we’re at the summit.“, is just, AFTER The Distant Horizon Ridge, and thus is where starts => The ZMM Narrator’s “High Country“,

In /\ Above /\ Photo => At The Extreme Right,
…You Will See, Very Faintly, Instantly Recognizable =>
……The Outline Of Wonderfully Beautiful Twin Peaks Of Very Distinctive Shapes.
….These peaks called the Beartooth for obvious reasons and thus are a famous local prospector’s & surveyor’s landmark for all of the Beartooth Plateau! And correspondingly will be shown in many forthcoming Photos.

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(Photo = September 2006 0074 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 141 m 10,836ft)

Into the Snow Fields A Second Time.

…. “ The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. “

ZMM Route Second Major Snow Field Area, Hogback Formation, Beartooth Highway, WY.
..****************..
ONLY After I Got Around The Switch-Back Shown In The NEXT PHOTO, Did I Realize I Had Passed On By This Graphic Scene In /\ Above /\ Photo.

Here Are My Corrective Steps And On-The-Spot Mental Dialogue =>
…. In Order To “Take” The /\ Above /\ Photo =>
….My paper notes say “went back for snow bank”. My mental dialog at that time =>
……‘OK. Forget my normal practice of keeping my car off of highway AND out of the photo => ‘Car and highway are now a required part of the photo.
….‘The car must be positioned to show the relative size of the snow banks. ‘Your must position the car back there! ‘Don’t get hit by another car. ‘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. ‘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 actually look at the camera, to see if it actually took the picture. ‘And actually look at camera display screen to see just taken 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 dialogue when taking ZMM Route Research Photos!
..****************..

A ROAD GEOGRAPHY NOTE.
….My paper research notes and the GPS both show that I have gone down a long hill, through a lower area (with rivulets of water & mud) and then come back up a small amount of elevation to 10,736 feet. The topo map contours are hard to read but it looks like this WayPt is about 10,540 feet. This is just a bit lower than my GPS at the ski lift area 10,982 feet.

….As Is True For The Summer Ski Area
….Why Is The Snow Also So VERY Deep Here, On This “Hogback”?
…1) It is on a North facing slope away from Summer Melting By Sun.
…2) And again ((as was discussed and shown in the Previous” Interlude Explanation” => a) A “Dramatic Aerial View” Photograph, b) A Satellite View, and c) A Topographical Map.)) this Hogback, it is apparently an especially good place for local snow “drop-out” from the Snow Laden strong NW wind, coming from Upper Rock Creek Canyon, through side valleys.
…3) And as discussed in the Previous Interlude => This local snow “drop-out” is because these Snow Laden Winds coming up the very, very, steep slopes of the (quite close by) edge of “The Hogback Formation”, here do an aerodynamic “up-sweep + swirl” action, that nicely drops deep layers of snow hereabouts, :

You Will Also See More Views The Road Switchbacks & Tiers On The Hogback, In The 5th, 7th, And 8th Next Photos, Showing Respectively =>

..5th “Exactly What Is Beyond The ZMM Narrator’s “ Then The Tunnel Opens Onto Dark Sky Again, And When We Emerge … .“ “

..7th “Standing On The Fourth Tier, Looking DOWN & A Bit East of North, Two More Tiers And One Switchback, Are Seen. “

..8th showing “Still On The Fourth Tier, But Have Moved Left & Turned The Camera Left, So View Is Looking STEEP DOWN Northwest, To See One Tier And Part of A Switchback.”
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(Photo = 106-0624 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 140k 10.665ft )

View Southeast, About 100 Feet Up Along The Road, From The Previous Photo.=>
….The Deep Snow Banks Reach Exactly To the Edge of the Pavement.
…….At Upper Left, Tundra And A Rock Out-Cropping Are Seen Up the Mountain Side.

…. [“ The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. “ ]

ZMM Route, Second Major Snow Field, Beartooth Highway, WY. (GPS 44.9741 -109.45795 10,679ft ) …About a 1/2 mile back, before I got to the location of The /\ Above /\ Photo, I had gone around a left turn switchback and started climbing along a North Facing Slope.

What's The Reasons For Deep Snow Remaining Here In Mid June? =>
….The answer is the same to that given in the Previous Photo => Apparently, local snow “drop-out” from the Snow Laden Strong NW Wind coming up the adjacent steep slopes. This is like that ski slope, where there is an up sweep updraft from which the snow drops out.…. Somehow this is in a "back-current area” shielded from wind.
…. This is like the action at the previously seen ski slope. Somehow this is in a "back-current area” shielded from wind, combined with a North facing slope which is turned away from melting heat of the sun.

In /\ Above /\ Photo At Left, Notice The Grass Covered Mountain Incline And Rock Out-Crop.
…. This area is actually getting close to the top of a knoll, which Topo Maps & The ZMM Narrator calls “The Summit”, at elevation 10,982 feet.
….By comparison => The topo map shows that the road, just after the ski lift area, also maxes-out at a “benchmark”(BM = 10,938ft).

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(Photo = 106-0623 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 142`|w| 10,679ft)

The Deep Snow, Is Getting Even Deeper!
….Soon This Will Be the Greatest Depth of All!

…. [“The snowfields become heavy and show steep banks where snowplows have been. “] The banks become four feet high, then six feet, then twelve feet high. “

ZMM Route, Second Major Snow Fields, Beartooth Highway, WY.
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(Photo = 106-0626cz1.7 ...... ZMM Page = 110 ...... WayPt = 142i ~10,679ft)