Photo Opens With A View Southwest, Looking At The Jefferson River Valley Landscape: … Click Photo Several Times To Get Largest View.
]
Same Camera Location As Previous Photo =>
….Continuing From Previous Panorama, The Jefferson River Is (At Far Left), Out Of View. AND
…. The Camera At First, Is Looking Southwest, Then Swings To West, Away From Three Forks, MT.
….With ClickDrag Bar, Gradually Scroll This Panorama, So The Yellow Flowers Are Mid Screen, and Above the Flowers You See A “V” Between The Mountains, At Which Point => You Are Looking West At The Landscape “Up River”.
….AND The “V” Between The Mountains, Is The ZMM Narrator’s, [Where he road] “ ….cuts into a narrow canyon of whitish-tan rock … “. This Is Because => The “V” Between The Mountains, Is Where The Jefferson River’s Has “Deep-Cut Through” A Magor Mountain Ridge.
……Additionally, To The Right Of The “V”, Nested In The Clump OF Trees …. Sure Enough …. There It Is! …. Exactly The ZMM Narrator’s ~”Brown Sign For Lewis and Clark Caves State Park” !
…….Continued ClickDrag Bar To Right Edge of Photo … You Are Looking North, And Will Recognize The Flowers & Highway Of Previous Photo, and SECOND Previous Photo.

……..SUMMARY: These Are More Facts, That All Exactly Fit The ZMM Narrative! (As In The Italics Below.)


[The road] “ ….cuts into a narrow canyon of whitish-tan rock, past some Lewis and Clark caves. “

Along The Jefferson River, Approaching “. A Narrow Canyon Of Whitish-Tan Rock ” ~2 Miles SE Of, Jefferson Island, MT. NOTE: Location is not the ZMM Narrator’s.“.At Three Forks . ”, but some 24 straight line miles West & a bit south.,

.... After leaving Three Forks, MT, my paper research notes say } “Cross Jefferson River, and see Junction Rt-287, and start looking for Rt-2. Turn on it, and following upstream this one of three rivers, = The Jefferson”. Later my paper research notes say that I see at this photo location = “A rodeo corral, huge salvaged bridge truss, and Lewis and Clark Caves sign, and ahead, I see the gap where I will be entering (as the river does) the narrow canyon through the mountain ridge.”

..****************..
….The /\ Above /\ Photo Introduces A Geological River Pattern, That You Will See Happens Repeatedly In Montana
….AND Somewhat Happens Here In The Jefferson River.
..****************..
….When Traveling A Long Road, Along A River, Downstream.
.. The river valley traveled, is at first, a terrace which is level and relatively wide, with the river a meandering still water. Ahead you can see the valley land is narrowing, then ends with the road and the river is now descending, in a narrower canyon, with rapids. Where the canyon is narrow, the river & road are relatively rapidly descending, and thus wind down the canyon, until both begin to level out. At this point, they emerge into another level and relatively wide valley land, much like the previous, with the river a meandering still water river!
The Geology Cause?
….It seems that the level, wide valley land, is held that way, against the river erosion, by relatively harder, more durable rock ridge (or rock layer), the drop-down edge of which is called a “Nickpoint”.
….This harder rock is preventing the land from eroding down to the same level as the lower, wide, flat valley terrace next below. Saying it differently, this strong rock has kept the upstream valley land level, and all its beautiful fertile farming, just the way it is.
To See Rather Good Example of This, With Full Discussion & Photos, Click Here
..****************..
….And Come To Think Of It => What Happens With The Three Rivers, After Three Forks, MT, Is Also A Rather Grand Example Of This!
….These rivers at first are meandering still water, then the valley is narrowing, with the three rivers now forced into one. This is followed by a narrow, deep, steep walled canyon, that is descending in white water rapids.
NEW TOPIC2:
….Because Both Author Robert Pirsig & The ZMM Narrator Hate & Despise “Tourist Attractions”, There Is Absolutely No Hint In ZMM, That => There Is Anything Interesting In Or About These “Lewis & Clark Caves”!
….But the actual Facts are Quite the Opposite!!! Click Here For Wikipedia, Which Has A Great Photo of Stalagmite Limestone Formations Inside The Cavern.
LEWIS & CLARK CAVERNS STATE PARK.
….Discover one of the most highly decorated limestone caverns in North America. … Camp, hike and experience amazing geologic wonders at Montana's first and best-known state park.
*************************
(Photo = 109-0930 +108-0923 + 109-0924sc ...... ZMM Page = 235 ...... WayPt = 232x 4308ft)