Pines, Hardwoods, And Sunlight Along The Trail In Cottonwood Canyon.

…. “Mountains like these and travelers in the mountains and events that happen to them here are found not only in Zen literature but in the tales of every major religion. The allegory of a physical mountain for the spiritual one that stands between each soul and its goal is an easy and natural one to make. Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships. “

Upper Cottonwood Canyon, Gallatin National Forest, MT.
….Take Special Note Of The Following Contrasting Mountain Metaphors =>
..A) In the ZMM Narrator's FIRST FORAY into the Mountains after Red Lodge, he goes up into that ”high country” using Paved Roads made by someone else (using Civilization Machinery), and moved with energy supplied by Motorcycle Machinery (ZMM Part II.)
..B) In the ZMM Narrator's SECOND FORAY into Cottonwood Canon, the Narrator goes up into his ”high country” at first following a Civilization Path, prepared by others (ZMM Part III ). However later, he makes and follows his OWN VERY DIFFICULT Routes, AND is moved by his OWN muscle power!
..C) Especially note that, the Narrator does this despite the fact that he can plainly see on his Topo Maps, that there are (no doubt) several well-traveled Gallatin National Forest Trails that would have gained the snow much more easily.

….As Always, All This Metaphorically Ties Into The Narrator's High Country Chautauqua.
..D) In the ZMM Narrator's FIRST FORAY into his high country, he discusses the Civilized Philosophies of OTHERS.
..E) In this SECOND FORAY, the Narrator goes up into he is making his OWN Philosophy, in this case the beginnings of his Metaphysics of Quality =>
…. “. I don’t know how much thought passed before he [Phaedrus] arrived at this, but eventually he saw that Quality couldn’t be independently related with either the subject or the object but could be found only in the relationship of the two with each other. It is the point at which subject and object meet. . “
..C) Unfortunately => And as always, Phaedrus, the Narrator, and even Chris suffer for this independence!!
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(Photo = September2006 0132 ...... ZMM Page = 167 ...... Photo Simulate WayPt = N+C 03 = 1.11 mi fm DeWeese.)