North View: Contrary To The Beautiful Warm Sunny Day Shown Above, For Chris, This Ride Is Painful Cold & Pure Punishment.

…But For the Narrator, This Famed Northern California Coast, Is A Major Accomplished Goal!

…“The ocean stretches forever, cold and blue out there, and produces a strange sense of despair.
…Coastal people never really know what the ocean symbolizes to landlocked inland people—what a great distant dream it is, present but unseen in the deepest levels of subconsciousness.,
….And when they arrive at the ocean and the conscious images are compared with the subconscious dream there is a sense of defeat at having come so far
… to be so stopped by a mystery that can never be fathomed. The source of it all. ” (Cont Next)

Just South of Westport, CA.

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Look Closely At The Line Of White Guard Posts Center Of Photo.
…As discussed in the previous photo => The curve just beyond those guard posts may well be the "best fit location" for the Narrator's “We round a sharp turn up an overhanging cliff.“
…If you are familiar with this coast highway, please let me know your thoughts on the probable location of this ZMM passage.
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(Photo = 116-1694cz2.0...... ZMM Page = 364 ...... WayPt = WayPt = 461i2 ~300ft. Photo at 458w 0305ft)

A Church, An Inn With The ZMM Restaurant, And A Print Shop Are The Small Town’s Business District.

…“A long time later we come to a town where a luminous haze which has seemed so natural over the ocean is now seen in the streets of the town, giving them a certain aura, a hazy sunny radiance that makes everything look nostalgic, as if remembered from years before. ” (Cont Next)

Business area, Caspar, CA.
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Excerpts from => DESCRIPTIONS AND POLICIES FOR THIRTEEN PLANNING AREAS SOUTH CENTRAL CAC PLANNING AREA. Sec 4.6: JUG HANDLE CREEK TO RUSSIAN GULCH PLANNING AREA (Includes Caspar).
… “Caspar is a former lumber mill town, situated on a coastal terrace that at one time was also planted in some vegetable crops. The land slopes gently to sharp bluffs, interrupted only at the creek mouths. The planning area's vegetation includes the southernmost Sitka Spruce forest, windbreak planting, mixed fir and redwood forest, pygmy forest, scrub, Scotch Broom and gorse. After operating from 1861 until 1955, the lumber mill is now gone, its former location marked only by the mill pond weir, a few remaining workers' cottages, and buildings in the village. However, the Caspar Lumber Company still owns 300 acres on both sides of Caspar Creek, the future use of which will be the single most important determinant of community character.”
Highway 1 is a two-lane expressway through Caspar and offers views of grazing lands fronting the old town and occasional distant views of the ocean. Old Highway 1, renamed Point Cabrillo Drive between Caspar Creek and Russian Gulch, provides one of the coast's rare alternatives to Highway 1 for intra-community travel. A gap in Point Cabrillo Drive at Caspar Creek, where all vehicular traffic must use the expressway, limits the sense of community and the potential for commercial development in Caspar.
…Later sections of the document mention how to locate various trails/drives plus scenic attractions, including a lighthouse.
…Later passages say you can follow the =>
…A) “Old Highway 1 through Caspar to Doyle Creek: [This] Trail follows existing road (County Road 569), then unimproved trail along headlands to beach.”
…B) “Point Cabrillo Alternative Coastal Trai l Location: Point Cabrillo Drive (Old Highway 1 now County Road 564) from Caspar Creek to Russian Gulch.”
…C) “Existing Development: Pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian use; connects with alternative coastal trail along Point Cabrillo Drive (Old Highway 1) to west; and also connects to Little Lake-Sherwood Inland Trail; designated by County Trails Plan.”
…D) “Point Cabrillo Alternative Coastal Trail: Location: Point Cabrillo Drive (Old Highway 1 now County Road 564) from Caspar Creek to Russian Gulch. …. (End excerpts.)
Click Here For The Complete “THIRTEEN PLANNING AREAS” Document.
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(Photo = 117-1702 ...... ZMM Page = 364 .... WayPt = 462w 0099ft)

The ZMM Restaurant Was Very Likely In This “Caspar Inn” Building, Just Inside The Porch Windows.

…However It Was Closed The Time I Was There, So No Photos Of Inside.

…“We stop in a crowded restaurant and find the last remaining empty table by a window overlooking the radiant street. Chris looks down and doesn’t talk. Maybe, in some way, he senses that we haven’t much farther to go.”
…[The Narrator has finished, in one page, the stand off between Chris and himself at the restraint. However, Chris gets to crying. A lady at a neighboring table looks like she will intervene. The narrative continues:]
…“ "Let’s go for a walk," I say, and get up without waiting for the check. .. At the cash register the waitress says, "I’m sorry the boy isn’t feeling good." I nod, pay, and we’re outside. .. I look for a bench somewhere in the luminous haze but there is none.” (Cont Next)
NOTE1: In the above narrative the phrase “a luminous haze ” must be a Metaphoric Bridge Connection. Please send email If you can discern what this might be.

Business area, Caspar, CA.

NOTE: A Google Search For “Caspar Inn” Finds =>
…A) The Caspar Inn has existed continuously as a roadhouse since 1906.It is a boutique venue featuring an excellent dance floor and sound system, full bar, Inn, and restaurant on the oceanside. The club hosts live music nightly. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the entertainment, community atmosphere, and artistic character of the Caspar Inn. A lot of history has happened at the Caspar Inn and we hope you will come to be a part of it.
…B) A Feb 5, 2013 newspaper article Titled => “The Caspar Inn: A Eulogy”, saying the Inn & Restaurant would be closing.
…C) Other Google finds give phone #’s and WebSites, but none work.
Thus, unless new owners come forth, the Restaurant in Caspar, CA is no more.
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(Photo = 117-1703 ...... ZMM Page = 365 ..... WayPt = 462w 0099ft)

What Road Did The ZMM Author Robert Pirsig (1968) Actually Use To Go From The Caspar Inn Restaurant,

…To A Road Which Climbs The Slope To The Narrator’s A High Point From Which He Could See Where Some People Rest In The Sand

…“I look for a bench somewhere in the luminous haze but there is none.] Instead we climb on the cycle and go slowly south looking for a restful place to pull off.
….The road leads out to the ocean again where it climbs to a high point that apparently juts out into the ocean but now is surrounded by banks of fog. For a moment I see where some people rest in the sand, and the people are obscured. ” (Cont Next)
*************************

/\ Above /\.Photo Is A Satellite View Of Caspar, CA, Caspar Back Bay, Caspar Beach, And Caspar Headlands:
…You Should Click On Photo Several Times To Get The Largest View, Then Study And Identify a), b), c), d), e), f), g), h), & i) =>
(a) The “Caspar Inn”, (b) “Caspar Rd” going South & Turn to (c) “Caspar Rd” going SE partly down the hillside; (d) “Caspar Beach”; (e) An un labeled Caspar Creek to right of “Caspar Beach”, (f) “Point Cabrillo Dr” and follow it (g) curving South along “Caspar Beach” and then (h) much curving to Northwest and climb the hillside to Narrator’s (i) “High Point”.

…Now, As You Will See In The NEXT TWO Photos, “Caspar Rd” going SE partly down the hillside at (c); once-upon-a-time connected to a High Wooden Trestle Bridge, which sloping down and curving around to the Southwest, Crossed Caspar Creek (e) And then connected to “Point Cabrillo Dr”; And then following (f), (g), (h) and then climb the hillside to Narrator’s (i) “High Point”, which is the Narrator’s => “a high point” ”that apparently juts out into the ocean” .

… THUS, IN SUMMARY => This is how OLD Rt-1 went South from Caspar, CA and most likely was how the Narrator & Chris got from the restaurant in town, to the Narrator’s => A High Point From Which He Could See Where Some People Rest In The Sand

DATE-LINE: January, 2021. by Henry Gurr.
….If you study the /\ Above Satellite /\ View (Imagery 2021), you can see that => The ONLY way with current day roads, to get from the “Caspar Inn” (The ZMM Restaurant Location in the Town of Caspar, CA.)
… TO THE OTHER SIDE OF Caspar Bay AND BE AT => The ZMM “Climax Scene”, which is marked in /\ Above /\ Photo >> In Mint Green >> “High Point”, which is the Narrator’s. “A High Point”
…The ONLY way, is to go the relative long distance of first going East on town streets, to the ”Newer” Four Lane Present Day Rt-1. (This is the Caspar By-Pass Which is the slightly curved major highway at the right of /\ Above /\ Satellite View, and shows “Caspar Creek Bridge”):
…And then go West via “Point Cabrillo Dr”; to the Narrator’s “A High Point”.
…..This much longer, circuitous route is most certainly the roads I had to use in 2002, and most certainly this route does not fit the Narrator’s description.

This Rather Long, Circuitous Route Would Take Far More Time Than The ZMM Narrative Allows For.
…. Thus, back in 1968, the then existing Rt-1, must have gone directly South from the Caspar Inn, first going South on “Caspar Rd”, then continuing SE on “Caspar Rd”, and started down the slope of the hillside.
…This is seen in the /\ Above /\ View, as a road going SE down the hillside, that gets weaker and dead ends in the trees.

AND NOW, In The /\ Above /\ Satellite View, We Can Imagine & Visualize That =>
… The continuation of the SE down the slppe “Caspar Rd”, back in 1968, would curve around onto a trestle bridge to the Southwest, cross Caspar Creek, and then join & continue Northwest where “Point Cabrillo Dr” is seen going back up the hillside.
SIDE NOTE: In the /\ Above /\ Satellite View, the Pink Line shows a boundary for A Caspar Census-Designated Area, and can be ignored.

In My 2002 ZMM Route Research, I was UN-able to find this old road down the cliff on the North side of the Bay. This is reason for no photos of it.
….But the NEXT TWO Photos (1947 & 1939) will show this Old Rt-1, AND The Trestle Bridge Very Clearly =>
……a) 1947 Aerial View.
……b) 1939 National Geographic Color Photo.

Topographic Maps, Can Often Better Show The Steepness of Slopes, Than Satellite Views.
…. To find & study a TopoZone Map of the Caspar, CA Area => Click on the Blue Link below, and AFTER the map comes up, you will see the old Rt-1 Road, as the short dead-end-SE angle-down-segment above the letters “BM”. From this, you can visualize that the OLD Rt-1 Road crossed the back-bay between the “BM” and the “41” on the TopoZone Map.
…. To See Caspar, CA and Caspar Bay on a Topo Map => RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB”.
…An AFTER Map View Comes Up, You Will See An AWFUL Clutter of Adverts That Are Impossible To Eliminate => YOU BEST SHOULD =>
….Use Scroll Bar At Far Right To Adjust Green Topo Map Until You See JUST BELOW The Plus&Minus Upper Left. => A ClickOn For “Full Screen”. Click On It, And Adverts Will Be GONE.
….Then Use Plus&Minus To Zoom. You Can “Click&Drag” Map In Any Direction, To See More Off Your Screen Edges.

The /\ Above /\ Photo Was A Screen Capture Of A Google Map Satellite View. For Further Study You May =>
…. Right Click And Select New Tab: And AFTER This Satellite View Comes Up, You May ClickDrag To See Parts Off Scree Edges, And Click Lower Right, To Zoom In. *************************
(Photo = GoogSat CasparCA+CasparBay+CasparHeadlsnds+NarratorClimaxScn(MkdHighPoint)+US1.jpg ...... ZMM Page = 366 ...... WayPt = 464w 0040ft)

The History Page of Caspar CA Community WebSite, Shows The Above 1947 Aerial Photo of Caspar CA => We See Clearly Where Old US-1, Came From the Town of Caspar, And Curves Down Toward the Beach.

…. “ … we climb on the cycle and go slowly south looking for a restful place to pull off. .. The road leads out to the ocean again ….“(Cont.Next)

Caspar Bay ~ one mi South of Caspar, CA.
The /\ Above 1947 Aerial View, Fits Exactly TO THE PREVIOUS PHOTO (Having A Satellite View) => Where It Said “You Can Imagine Where a) Old US-1 Curved Left; d) And Crossed Caspar Creek; e) And Then Connected to “Point Cabrillo Dr”.”
….And also you can see how nearly all of the 1947 streets appear in the Previous Satellite View Photo. AND even “The Caspar Inn” appears in both!
….Wikipedia says “The Caspar Inn existed continuously as a roadhouse from the heyday of the logging era in 1906 to February 2013.” Excerpt From Wikipedia. More Good History Information, and Six Very Nice Photos. Click Here.
….Wikipedia also says Important date => “turned Caspar into a significant logging town in Northern California from 1864 to 1955 … “…. Thus it would seem very likely, when The ZMM Narrator came thru, back in 1968 (13 years later) that => The then existing US-1 (as is shown in /\ Above /\ Photo), must have gone South from “The Caspar Inn, then SE as the “Caspar Rd” went down the slope of the North bay-side, curve around, cross Caspar Creek, and then join & continue West where “Point Cabrillo Dr” is seen in the Previous Satellite View Photo.
….Other Parts of the Puzzle Now Solved.
In /\ Above /\ Photo, we can see that the bridge over Caspar Creek, is relatively long, high, and large, AND made of wood. Thus this expensive bridge would eventually weaken from rot, and with the end of the Saw Mill and Logging in 1955, there would no point in replacing it.
….Moreover, by the 1960’s there would be far more traffic of faster cars & trucks, than The Old US-1 could handle through the Caspar Town. Leading to construction of the “New” US-1 By-Pass. Please send an email if you know the dates of this construction.
….….And One More Puzzle Solved.
..A) WHY Satellite & Topo Maps do not show the slightest trace of a road from where => “Caspar Rd” went SE down the slope of the North bay-side, to where would join & continue West on present day “Point Cabrillo Dr”.
..B) ANSWER: This whole roadway distance was a Wooden Bridge, and when rotted down, would nicely regrow in trees, leaving scant evidence, that anything was there, beyond old stone piers that once held up the wood!


…. RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => After This Caspar Community Page Comes Up, You can read A Good History Of Town & See Five Very Nice Historical Photos, beyond the two Photos from their WebPage Shown /\ Above /\ and NEXT Photo.

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(Photo = CasparCAGgAerialViuCasparCA FmCasparHeadlandsHIST}Pano}Mill1947+ExplOvLy.jpg ...... ZMM Page = 366 ...... WayPt = 464w 0040ft at beach.)

The History Page Of The Caspar, CA. Community WebSite, Shows The Above 1939 National Geographic Cover Photo of Caspar, CA.

…We AGAIN See Clearly Where The OLD Rt-1 Came From The Town of Caspar, And On A Wooden Trestle, Curves Down Toward Caspar Beach.

…Caspar Beach Is The White Strip, Seen Just Above The Roof Of The Big Sawmill Building.

….[ AND the road shown in /\ Above /\ Photo, fully fits the ZMM Narrative => ]
…. “ … we climb on the cycle and go slowly south looking for a restful place to pull off. .. The road leads out to the ocean again ….” (Cont Next)
…. “

Caspar Bay, about one mile South of Caspar, CA.


Thanks To ZMMQ WebSite Editor David Matos, For The Following
…Which Is Content He Posted July 24, 2022, On Our Facebook.com/zmmquality
…This /\ Above /\ photograph of the Caspar sawmill just south of Caspar, CA graced the cover of the March 1939 edition of the National Geographic Magazine. In the foreground, a log splashes from chute into a log pond on Caspar Creek and the Caspar Bridge takes Highway 1 across the valley.
…Behind the sawmill, Caspar Bay is visible with a white strip of beach just peaking out above the sawmill.
…Enclosing the bay in the top right hand corner of the photo, the rocky cliffs of Point Cabrillo can be seen, the place on the Mendocino coast where the climactic scene in Robert M. Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” takes place.
…Caspar, CA is a small unincorporated community started as a logging sawmill town. In 1850, an opium trading brig named the Frolic on its way from China to San Francisco during the gold rush sank just off Point Cabrillo. The subsequent investigation led to the discovery of Redwood forests along the Mendocino coast and the later establishment of the timber industry there.
…The Caspar Lumber Company operated from 1864-1955. A dedicated rail line was built into the interior, ultimately 28 miles in length and some of the largest trees ever felled came through Caspar. Lumber was shipped from Caspar Bay via “dog-hole” schooners so named for their small size.
…The March 1939 issue of National Geographic celebrated the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge and the northern coast of California to car traffic, which prior to was easier to travel to by dog-hole schooner and later steamers. Pirsig Pilgrims today can stop in the town of Caspar and at Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park.

LEARN MORE…
View Henry Gurr’s photo albums illustrating “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. This page will take you directly to the Mendocino Coast and discussion of Caspar, CA.
http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/album09?page=11

ATTN: HENRY->
The Caspar, CA website includes more historical background, including a great 1966 photo of the Caspar Bridge that will help Pirsig fans envision the scene in Chapter 31.
https://www.casparcommons.org/HHistory.php

Wikipedia entry Caspar, CA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspar,_California
..****************..

….Attention: This History Page of Caspar CA Community WebSite Page Has An Interesting History of the Town And History Of Their Redwood Lumber Mill.
…There are 8 very Interesting Historical Photos, One of these photos shows The Big Long Curved Wooden Trestle Bridge, dated 1966. This photo is important, since factually establishes that this bridge was very likely still there when Robert Pirsig went through Caspar, CA, in 1968.
… Click Here To See The Original WebPage For => The Text Above And The /\ Above /\ Photo Of => The 1939 National Geographic Cover Photo of Caspar CA
*************************

…. To Further Explore This Area or ZOOM IN => RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => => After Satellite Map View Comes Up, ClickOn The Plus&Minus To Zoom. You can “Click&Drag” Map In Any Direction, to See More Off Your Screen Edges.

*************************

Thanks To Professor Gary Wegner Who’s Old Website Once Showed An Aerial Photo That Clearly Showed The OLD Rt-1 Crossing Casper-Bay:
….Back in ~2005, an older version of Professor Gary Wegner’s Website once had a good Aerial View of Caspar CA. that clearly showed the OLD Rt-1 directly crossing Casper-Bay. But since this WebSite no longer showed this Aerial View, Henry Gurr was able to Google and find /\ Above /\ Photo as well as the Previous Photo.

You May Learn More About Professor Gary Wegner’s Efforts =>
…A) Click Here For Professor Gary Wegner’s Current WebSite Showing Photos Along The Route Of Robert Pirsig’s Book ''Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance,” (ZMM).
…B) Click Here For Professor Gary Wegner’s ZMM Book Read And Ride WebPage.
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(Photo = CasparCa Goog..AerialVuCasparCA SezCasparHeadlandsHIST=NatGeo39big.jpg ...... ZMM Page = 366 ...... WayPt = 464w 0040ft at beach.)

Author Robert Pirsig In 1968, Would Have Followed The Old Rt-1, Which Went Down To and Along A Public Beach Located At The Back Of Caspar Anchorage. (A Small Bay & Harbor.)

…At Left, You Can See The Water Of This Bay, And The Beach Runs Along Between The Water And The Pavement.

…You Can See More Of The Bay, To The Right Of The Vehicle’s Back Tire.

…[ “Instead we climb on the cycle and go slowly south looking for a restful place to pull off.] .. The road leads out to the ocean again …. ” (Cont Next)

Back-bay Beach Park, about one travel mile South of Caspar, CA.

As Discussed In The 3 Previous Photos =>
…Most likely Author Robert Pirsig back in1968, would have followed the then existing Rt-1 main coastal highway. This would have gone through the Caspar business district, descended down a hillside, onto a curved wooden trestle, on which Rt-1 crossed Caspar Creek and reached practically ocean level.
… Rt-1 would then go along the back of a small beach (cove) seen in the /\ Above /\ Photo. And then after going over Doyle Creek, swing around to the Northwest, and climbed up the opposite (South) hillside to the level headlands. Here is where the Narrator says “a restful place to pull off. .. The road leads out to the ocean again ….
…I believe this above route description is the road most likely used by Author Robert Pirsig, since it well fit his statement “The road leads out to the ocean again.“
…This above route description also, in fact, leads to a location of the Narrator & Chris climax scene, on a map sent to me by Mr. Pirsig. To See Mr. Pirsig’s March 28, 2002 Letter Click Here. And AFTER this page comes up, scroll down to the first March 28.

…The NEXT Photo, shows and discusses The Approximate Location That The ZMM Narrator Calls A High Point

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(Photo = 117-1713 ...... ZMM Page = 366 ...... WayPt = 464w 0040ft)

Looking Across The Sand Of Caspar Public Beach & Water Of Casper Bay, We See The Upper Edge Of Caspar Headlands, Along Which (In Silhouette At LEFT), Are Seen A Series Of Bushes.

…You Should Click On Photo Several Times To Get The Largest View, Then Study The Sky-Line Between Bushes, And Identify (Look Closely) A Tiny Street Address Sign On A Narrow Vertical Metal Pipe.

…(Looking More Closely) , Just Below This Sky-Line, The Upper Slope Of Road “Point Cabrillo Dr” Is Seen As A Line Between Tan Grass & Darker Roadway, Which Is Climbing The Grade To The Base Of the Street Address Sign.

…This “Base” Approximately Marks The Upper Slope Of “Point Cabrillo Dr”, Arriving At Sharp Switch Back, Which Is At This High HillTop.

…This Is The Approximate Location, The ZMM Narrator Calls “A High Point.” Please Remember This Because => You Will See This Same Approximate Location Discussed In The 2nd & 4th Next Photos. And subsequently 3 more photos.

…. “ [The road leads out to the ocean again where it climbs to a high point that apparently juts out into the ocean] but now is surrounded by banks of fog.” (Cont Next)

Back-bay “Caspar Beach Park”, one half mile SouthSouthWest of Caspar, CA.

As Discussed In The 4 Previous Photos =>
….The OLD Road (Rt-1), ZMM Narrator used in 1968, came from The Caspar Inn, angled down & curved around on a wooden trestle, crossed Caspar Creek, and then joined present day “Point Cabrillo Dr”. This is the road (/\ Above /\ Photo), that climbs the slope of a hillside, to reach the Ocean’s High Edge, which is The Narrator’s “A High Point ”.This “Point” Is Above Caspar Beach, where The Narrator saw => Where Some People Rest In The Sand This you will see Next Photo.
…

To Best Understand How The /\ Above /\ Picture, Fits The ZMM Narrative, You May Need To =>
…A) Go Back 4 Photos And Study The “Satellite View”, OR
…B) Perhaps Even Better, Clicking On Either Of The Blue Links Below.
…. To Further Explore This Area or ZOOM IN => RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => => After Satellite Map View Comes Up, ClickOn The Plus&Minus To Zoom. You can “Click&Drag” map in any direction, to see more off your Screen Edges.
***oo00O00oo***

…. An Alternate => To Further Explore Caspar, CA and Caspar Bay On A Topo Map => RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB”
…And AFTER the Map View Comes Up, You Will See an AWFUL Clutter of Adverts That Are Impossible To Eliminate. => YOU BEST SHOULD =>
….Use Scroll Bar At Far Right => Adjust Green Topo Map Until You See JUST BELOW The Plus&Minus Upper Left. => A ClickOn For “Full Screen”. Click on it, and Adverts Will Be GONE.
….Then use Plus&Minus To Zoom. You can “Click&Drag” Map In Any Direction, to See More Off Your Screen Edges.
*************************
(Photo = 117-1712 ...... ZMM Page = 366 ...... WayPt = 464w 0040ft)

This Is A Telephoto Close-Up Taken From The Previous Photo:

Looking Across The Sand Of Caspar Public Beach & Water Of Casper Bay, We See The Upper Edge Of Caspar Headlands, Along Which (In Silhouette), Are Seen A Series Of Bushes.

…You Should Study The Sky-Line Between Bushes, And Identify (Look Closely) A Tiny Street Address Sign On A Narrow Vertical Metal Pipe, And To The Right, A Rectanglar Advertising Sign.

…(Looking More Closely), Just Below This Sky-Line, The Upper Slope Of Road “Point Cabrillo Dr” Is Seen As A Line Between Tan Grass & Darker Roadway Fill-dirt, Which Is Climbing The Grade To The Base Of The Street Address Sign.

…This “Address Sign Base”, Closely Marks The Upper Slope Of “Point Cabrillo Dr”, Arriving At Sharp Switch Back, Which Is At This High HillTop.

…This Also Closely Marks The Location Of The ZMM Narrator’s “A High Point.”

…And This Location Is Beside The “Sharp Switch Back”, Which Is Mentioned In The Other Photos

….[ “ The road leads out to the ocean again where it climbs to a high point that apparently juts out into the ocean] but now is surrounded by banks of fog. ” ] (Cont Next)

Back-bay “Caspar Beach Park”, one half mile SouthSouthWest of Caspar, CA.

NOTE1:
…The /\ Above /\ Photo, shows as best we know, the location of Author Robert Pirsig’s "climax scene", which is at the “Top Of The Grade Near The Base Of the Street Address Sign”. This is where Mr. Pirsig’s printed map X showed the curved road shown in Previous & Next Photos, andwhich in this sequence of photos will be called “The Sharp Switch Back”.

NOTE2:
…Two pages after the above ZMM passage, the discord between Chris & the Narrator has gotten so bad that the Narrator wants to immediately end the pain & agony saying “I want to run for the cliff,”
…This of course leads us to expect he might run & jump off a nearby, a real world rocky nearby vertical cliff!!
…But the nearest “cliff” is shown in the /\ Above /\ Photo. And by contrast, shows merely a somewhat smooth sloping hillside, not anywhere near vertical, with no rocks. Hardly a “cliff” & hardly deadly.


So We Consult The Oxford Dictionary Which Says =>
…CLIFF: NOUN: A steep rock face, especially at the edge of the sea. … " the top of rugged cliffs"

…And yes, for cliffs that are rocky, steep, sometimes near vertical, a “ run for the cliff, would indeed be deadly.

Which Forces Us To Must Remember, At The Beginning Of ZMM =>
“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. ”

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(Photo = 117-1712c...... ZMM Page = 368 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

As Viewed From The ZMM Narrator’s “A High Point ”

There It Is! Just As The Narrator Stated!! => “I See .. Where Some People Rest In The Sand.”

…You See Both The Beach, & The Road (At Right Beyond Beach), That Were Seen In The Previous Photo

…The Road Beyond Beach Is OLD Rt-1 From Caspar, CA. Which Chris & The Narrator Drove Along To Reach The “Climbing The Grade To The Base Of the Street Address Sign”, Mentioned In Previous Photo. This Eventually Brought Chris & The Narrator To This High Pont Edge.

…More Photos Of The Road And Narrator’s “A High Point ” Are Shown In The Next Photos.


… [ “ … but now is surrounded by banks of fog. ” ] “For a moment I see a distant break in the fog where some people rest in the sand, but soon the fog rolls in and the people are obscured.
…I look at Chris and see a puzzled, empty look in his eyes, but as soon as I ask him to sit down some of the anger and hatred of this morning reappear.
…"Why?" he asks.
…"I think it’s time we should talk."
…"Well, talk," he says. All the old belligerence is back. It’s the "kind father" image he can’t stand. He knows the "niceness" is false.
…"What about the future?" I say. Stupid thing to ask.
…"What about it?" he says.
…"I was going to ask what you planned to do about the future."
…"I’m going to let it be." Contempt shows now.”
…“The fog opens for a moment, revealing the cliff we are on, then closes again, and a sense of inevitability about what is happening comes over me. I’m being pushed toward something and the objects in the corner of the eye and the objects in the center of the vision are all of equal intensity now, all together in one, and I say, "Chris, I think it’s time to talk about some things you don’t know about.
… He listens a little. He senses something is coming.” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about one travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.

As Has Been Stated In Earlier Gallery Photos =>
…There are no useless wasted words in Author Robert Pirsig’s book. Thus, the ZMM Reader should come to attention when seeing the Narrator’s seeming useless words in the TOP passage above, full paragraph with => “ … but now is surrounded by banks of fog. … For a moment I see a distant break in the fog where some people rest in the sand, but soon the fog rolls in and the people are obscured. ”
…We need to wonder the Meaning(s), Symbolism(s), and Metaphoric Bridge Connection(s) to other Narrator passages, of practically every word in this passage! And we can be sure they are important!
…For example =>
…A) What is symbolized by “the fog”, and “brief openings”. We as readers hope new possibilities may “open up”, but right away these possibilities may be “obscured”…. AND/OR
…. B) Are these seeming unimportant words really an early Metaphorical Telegraph of important upcoming events, that soon will play out in upcoming ZMM passages, concerning Author Robert Pirsig’s “Climax Scene” ?
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(Photo = 117-1706 + 1707scz1.1...... ZMM Page = 366 ..... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

On The Other Side Of Caspar Anchorage Bay, The Hills & Hillsides, Looks Just Like The Hills & Hillsides We Are On, At This Side Of The Bay.

…Above Photo Shows Another View Of Likely Scenery Surrounding Chris & The Narrator, Where The Narrator Had Stopped So The Troubled Impasse Restaurant Conversation Can Be Resolved.

…[ “I say, "Chris, I think it’s time to talk about some things you don’t know about."
…He listens a little. He senses something is coming. ” ]
…“I look at Chris and see a puzzled, empty look in his eyes, but as soon as I ask him to sit down some of the anger and hatred of this morning reappear.
…"Why?" he asks.
…"I think it’s time we should talk."
…"Well, talk," he says. All the old belligerence is back. It’s the "kind father" image he can’t stand. He knows the "niceness" is false.
…"What about the future?" I say. Stupid thing to ask.
…"What about it?" he says.
…"I was going to ask what you planned to do about the future."
…"I’m going to let it be." Contempt shows now.
…The fog opens for a moment, revealing the cliff we are on, then closes again, and a sense of inevitability about what is happening comes over me. I’m being pushed toward something and the objects in the corner of the eye and the objects in the center of the vision are all of equal intensity now, all together in one, and I say, "Chris, I think it’s time to talk about some things you don’t know about.
… He listens a little. He senses something is coming.
"Chris, you’re looking at a father who was insane for a long time, and is close to it again."
…And not just close anymore. It’s here. The bottom of the ocean.
…"I’m sending you home not because I’m angry with you but because I’m afraid of what can happen if I continue to take responsibility for you."
…His face doesn’t show any change of expression. He doesn’t understand yet what I’m saying.
…"So this is going to be good-bye, Chris, and I’m not sure we’ll see each other anymore."
..That’s it. It’s done. And now the rest will follow naturally.
…He looks at me so strangely. I think he still doesn’t understand. That gaze . . . I’ve seen it somewhere . . . somewhere . . . somewhere. . . .
…In the fog of an early morning in the marshes there was a small duck, a teal that gazed like this. . . . I’d winged it and now it couldn’t fly and I’d run up on it and seized it by the neck and before killing it had stopped and from some sense of the mystery of the universe had stared into its eyes, and they gazed like this . . . so calm and uncomprehending . . . and yet so aware. Then I closed my hands around its eyes and twisted the neck until it broke and I felt the snap between my fingers.
…Then I opened my hand. The eyes still gazed at me but they stared into nothing and no longer followed my movements.“

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1705 + 117-1706sc ...... ZMM Page = 367 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

Back In 1968 Coastal Shrubs Like These Seen Close-Up Left Of Photo Center, Probably Originally Completely Covered The Surrounding Land.

…This Probably Forced Chris And The Narrator To Be In The Weeds & Rough Grass Immediately At The Pavement Edge Seen Right Of Photo Center.

…As Best We Know From Author Robert Pirsig’s Map X For His "Climax Scene", The Location Of The ZMM Narrator’s “A High Point ” Is At The Side Of The Road Curve Pavement Shown In /\ Above /\ Photo.

…This Likely Would Be Close To The (Left Of )The Two Metal Reflector Post, Seen Beyond The Foreground Weeds At Road Curve.

…On the preceding page the Narrator tries to explain to Chris, why he (the Narrator) is about to experience another breakdown, and that Chris may never see him again. They try to decide on someone who will take care of Chris, but even this has no solution. The Narrator continues =>
…“"It’s not your fault, Chris. It never has been. Please understand that." .. His gaze fails in a sudden inward flash. Then his eyes close and a strange cry comes from his mouth, a wail like the sound of something far away. He turns and stumbles on the ground then falls, doubles up and kneels and rocks back and forth, head on the ground. A faint misty wind blows in the grass around him. A seagull alights nearby.
…Through the fog I hear the whine of gears of a truck and am terrified by it.” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1707 + 1708sc...... ZMM Page = 368 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

You'll Have To Add DENSE FOG To The /\ Above /\ Photo,

…Then Imagine Chris & And The Narrator, In The Rough Grass & Weeds, By Pavement Edge, Hearing The “ The Whine Of The Truck ”, An Emanent Coming Ghostly Apparition, With The Misty Fog Swirling Around It.

…The Huge Truck Would Tower "Terrifyingly" Over Chris And The Narrator. What A Frightful Terrifying Scene!!


[ “Chris’s gaze fails in a sudden inward flash. Then his eyes close and a strange cry comes from his mouth, a wail like the sound of something far away. He turns and stumbles on the ground then falls, doubles up and kneels and rocks back and forth, head on the ground. A faint misty wind blows in the grass around him. A seagull alights nearby.
…Through the fog I hear the whine of gears of a truck and am terrified by it.” ]
…“"You have to get up, Chris."
…The wail is high-pitched and inhuman, like a siren in the distance.
…"You must get up!"
…He continues to rock and wail on the ground.
…I don’t know what to do now. I have no idea what to do. It’s all over. I want to run for the cliff, but fight that. I have to get him on the bus, and then the cliff will be all right.”

Phaedrus, Long Suppressed, Next Suddenly Emerges!

…This Is In Response To The Narrator's End Of Rope Crisis And Chris' Extreme Distress:

…Phaedrus Finally Suddenly Speaks Directly To Chris.

…“Everything is all right now, Chris.
…That’s not my voice.
…l haven’t forgotten you. .. Chris’s rocking stops.
…How could I forget you?
…Chris raises his head and looks at me. A film he has always looked through at me disappears for a moment and then returns.
…We’ll be together now.
…The whine of the truck is upon us.
…Now get up! ” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1707 + 117-1708sc..... ZMM Page = 368 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

Try To Imagine The Truck & Its Overpowering “Whine”, As A Ghostly Apparition, Emerging From The Fog Immediately Beside Chris and the Narrator.

…The Huge Truck Would Tower High Over Them. They Would Feel Its Heat and Smell Its Fumes!

…Phaedrus Commands And This Time Chris Responds.

“…The whine of the truck is upon us.
…Now get up!
… ”Chris slowly sits up and stares at me. The truck arrives, stops, and the driver looks out to see if we need a ride. I shake my head no and wave him on. He nods, puts the truck in gear, and it whines off through the mist again and there is only Chris and me. ” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1708 ..... ZMM Page = 368 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

Phaedrus Having Finally Emerged In Response to Chris’s Extreme Distress, Now Becomes the Comforting Father, Through The Actions Of The Narrator.

…Also Phaedrus Directly & Full Honesty, Answers Chris’s Questions.

…“ … and there is only Chris and me.
…I put my jacket around him. His head is buried again between his knees and he cries now, but it is a low-pitched human wail, not the strange cry of before. My hands are wet and I feel that my forehead is wet too.
…After a while he wails, "Why did you leave us?"
…When?
…"At the hospital!"
…There was no choice. The police prevented it.
…"Wouldn’t they let you out?" .. No.
…"Well then, why wouldn’t you open the door?"
…What door?” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1708cz1.2...... ZMM Page = 369 ... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

The Glass Door Is Not Just In a Dream.

…“"Well then, why wouldn’t you open the door?"
What door?
…"The glass door!"
…A kind of slow electric shock passes through me. What glass door is he talking about?
…"Don’t you remember?" he says. "We were standing on one side and you were on the other side and Mom was crying."
.. I’ve never told him about that dream. How could he know about that? Oh, no .. We’re in another dream. That’s why my voice sounds so strange.
…I couldn’t open that door. They told me not to open it. I had to do everything they said.
…"I thought you didn’t want to see us," Chris says. He looks down.
…The looks of terror in his eyes all these years.” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1707.. ZMM Page = 369 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

Chris Now Has His Real (Phaedrus) Father back!

…And Because Phaedrus Has Answered Chris About the Glass Door, The Narrator Can Now Better Remember The Early Events At The Mental Hospital And Even Chris On the Other Side of the Glass Door.

…From This, The Narrator Realizes These Are Not Just In His Dreams!


…“Now I see the door. It is in a hospital. .. This is the last time I will see them. I am Phædrus, that is who I am, and they are going to destroy me for speaking the Truth.
…It has all come together.
…Chris cries softly now. Cries and cries and cries. The wind from the ocean blows through the tall stems of grass all around us and the fog begins to lift.
…"Don’t cry, Chris. Crying is just for children."
…After a long time I give him a rag to wipe his face with.” (Cont Next)

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1708cz2.2 ...... ZMM Page = 369 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)

Phaedrus Here Speaks His Last (One) Word In ZMM.

…[Hit by a sun-illuminated thought, Chris asks a question. And Phaedrus answers in one word, his last!]
…[ “Chris cries softly now. Cries and cries and cries. The wind from the ocean blows through the tall stems of grass all around us and the fog begins to lift.
…"Don’t cry, Chris. Crying is just for children."
…After a long time I give him a rag to wipe his face with.” ] “We gather up our stuff and pack it on the motorcycle.
…Now the fog suddenly lifts and I see the sun on his face makes his expression open in a way I’ve never seen it before. He puts on his helmet, tightens the strap, then looks up.
…"Were you really insane?"
…Why should he ask that?
…No!
…Astonishment hits. But Chris’s eyes sparkle.
…"I knew it," he says”

ZMM Narrator’s “High Point”, Point Cabrillo Dr, about 1.2 travel mile Southwest of Caspar, CA.
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(Photo = 117-1708 + 1709sc .... ZMM Page = 370 ...... WayPt = 463x 0090ft)