The photos here show some our working environment here at University of South Carolina Aiken, and a few "screen captures" of our software in use. The screen captures show the pages we work with and some of the "quirks" encountered & what to do about them. Active planning for what was to become ZMMquality WebSite, began around April 2002, when I walked over to the USCA University Library to visit Paul Lewis. I wanted his advice on what GPS Handheld Receiver I should purchase for my forth coming ZMM Research Trip. Paul is a University of South Carolina Aiken Research Librarian. Among his multitude of skills and interests, he is a first rate technology/computer expert! And among his various library responsibilities, he is in charge of the USCA Library's Global Position Information System (GIS) Computer Database. So I thought he ought to know what GPS would work best with a GIS. You will read "the rest of the story" in the captions of this album. Links to the software we use are also given.

This ZMMquality Site is dedicated to Paul Lewis, since in essence, he is it's co-creator! And … with many, many hours of prime trouble-shooting and expert computer code manipulations, Paul Lewis has definitely shown he is ZMMquality's mentor and friend!

Yes! These are the pictures taken on Robert Pirsig's very own camera as he, Chris, Sylvia, and John made that 1968 epic voyage upon which his book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (ZMM), was based. These 12 photos seem to be the only existing photos from that trip. Mr. Pirsig, when he sent me these photos, said that if he had known his book was going be so famous, he would have taken more photographs. As you will see, nearly all these photos appear to have been "written into" ZMM. This leads me to conjecture that there might have been many other photos that likewise were formative for many, many, other parts of the ZMM Travel Narrative.

NOW AVAILABLE: …
A Travel Route, Marked By Black Felt Tip Marker, On A USA Map Mailed To To Me By John (ZMM) Sutherland. In Mr Sutherland’s cover letter, he said 1) ”The map had been given to him by Mr. Robert Pirsig”, and 2) [The (black felt tip) marked travel route,] "Showed some of Pirsig ideas for their proposed trip in 1968." In essence showed an early ZMM Route.!!
In the envelope, all folded up, was an old National Geographic 26” x 40” Wall Map, dated in the title block June 1951. It is a Pre-Interstate Highway Road Map, that has old deep discolorations of Scotch Tape on the corners, indicating it was, in it’s history, for quite a long duration, actually hung on a wall. On this map, someone, most probably Mr. Pirsig, had marked a planned route West, through Northern Oregon, to the Pacific Coast and thence to San Francisco by way of the Pacific Ocean Coast.
Some other routes were also marked, one of which might have been a return route. Also there were notes on the map, using the same black marker, are written in what appears Mr. Pirsig’s hand writing. (Mr Pirsig typically signs his paper letters, with a black felt tip marker.)
In considering the above, I don't agree with Mr Sutherland, that this map was prepared for what became the "1968 ZMM Trip", over what is now known as the "ZMM Route": Had this map been marked any time after Mr. Pirsig was a Professor (1959-1961) at Montana State College (now Montana State University), Mr Pirsig would have included in the marked routes, Bozeman MT. Which this map does not show: Hence it must show pre 1959 route planning.
To see this map & travel route marked by Pirsig, with complete discussion go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28421778@N02/9694139034/
By Henry Gurr Site Master http://VentureArete.org

For the photographs you will see in this album, I have added a title, added a selected ZMM passage, and provided standard caption format, which includes: ZMM passage & page number, nearest town name, the probable GPS location where the picture was taken, as well as the photo number of my closest matching picture. Mr. Pirsig's own photo captions, sent with his original digital photo files, are included. My photo locations are referenced by a so called "GPS WayPoint Reference Number". A corresponding GPS WayPoint data file will made available upon request. This data file will in turn give precisely the coordinates (degrees North Latitude) + (Degrees West Longitude) for the site of each of my photographs.

New topic: Look closely at the reflection in the shiny gas tank in the first photo. You can faintly discern the image of John, holding the camera at his waist, as he took that photo! HSG

Following the Route of the California Gold Rush ‘49s (In Reverse Direction). This album shows photos of my return trip back to my home in Aiken, South Carolina.

Introduction: My ZMM Research involved following the "ZMM Route, and of course, ended in San Francisco. On my way home from "The Bay Area", I first traveled to Stutters Fort, now a Historical Monument. This very large fort and terminus of the California Trail is now a wonderful well preserved museum. AND it is a very good way to learn about the lives of the "Emigrants" on the California Trail. For me this was the start point for following the California Trail (backwards) into Nevada & Idaho. In Idaho, the California Trail joined with the Oregon Trail, I followed the combined trails (backwards) through Southern Idaho to St. Louis, MO. Along the route were fantastic wide open natural landscapes, many Informative Local History Signs, Interpretive Centers, Museums, Commemorative Monuments (re California/Oregon Trails), and a wonderful Fossil Museum at the Fossil Butte National Monument.

Details: Starting from my home in Aiken SC, my Research lead me, of course, to Minneapolis, and then along the ZMM Route to San Francisco, and close to my son’s, David Gurr’s, home then in Palo Alto, CA. I arranged to stay with him for about two months. There I rested, visited, and toured around with my son: We toured, mountain drives, beach vistas, Frank Lloyd Wrights buildings, nature museums, etc). I also made computer back-ups of all my ZMM Route photos, re-read and edited all my ZMM Route research notes, and visited friends in Irvine, California. On my drive to (and from) Irvine I studied & photographed the St Andreas Fault and visited the J. Paul Getty Museum near Santa Monica, CA. While in Palo Alto, David and I also traveled to see my Nephew, Edward Gurr, and family in Mariposa CA. He treated us to a trip up to the Sweetwater Gold Mine. This was quite exciting.
After I left Palo Alto, I traveled East on I-580 and crossed Altamont Pass, by Livermore and thru Stockton. In Sacramento, I was quite excited to visit the old Stutters Fort (mentioned above). After an overnight visit with friends, in Chico, CA, I "angled SouthEast to I-80 at Auburn CA. Going now N. East, I soon switched into the old paved road, parallel and just South of I-80. This is the old route of the California Trail over Donner Pass. As I followed the Historic California Trail (backwards) into Nevada, I was in fact, following the entire Historic Trail of California Gold Rush ‘49ers! This was a very rewarding experience for me! Very thrilling both for the history experienced (first hand) and the incredible natural beauty and open spaces. Altogether, my trip back was just as thrilling as the ZMM route itself, which is saying something!!
Moreover, as mentioned elsewhere in this Photo Gallery, I have one of Robert Pirsig’s old National Geographic Full Size Wall Maps on which a pre-1968 versions of the ZMM Route had been "inked-in". Significant to this discussion, the “Route of the ‘49ers’ is likewise marked on this map!
Thus, for Pirsig Pilgrims, there are multiple reasons why I highly recommend ‘49ers route. Here now is a selection from my photographs taken on my return trip. Henry Gurr, Dec 04. Rev Oct 07.

On my trip in the summer of 2006, I showed the former home of John and Sylvia Sutherland (seen in these photos) to Anthony McWatt and MOQ film crew. In ZMM (page 143), the Narrator quotes John Sutherland's disparaging comment about their home and life back in Minneapolis. So here are 18 photos of what is here at the address quoted. Despite John's statement, this looks to us like a wonderful home along a quiet shady street, in a perfectly fine neighborhood! We found it empty and for rent, so we fully used the chance to experience and absorb this fantastic, multicolored Victorian masterpiece! Although this style of architecture is not normally my “type”, it was still fun to be here and take photos in the bright sun. In these views you will see Anthony McWatt, Rebecca Temmer, and Gavin Gee Cough. The MOQ video production team's photographer, David Buchanan, by happenstance is missing from my photos taken at this home. From my two trips to Minneapolis, I have many other photos and will post these in this album ASAP. Notice: If you are the person now living in this home please contact me. Anyone having (or needing) more information, please contact me. I want to hear from you.

The ZMM Narrator emphasizes the beauty of the wild flowers, "In The Mountain High Country in Chapter 11. Here is what he said : ...."Wildflowers, everywhere! These and grasses and mosses and lichens are all that can live here, now. We’ve reached the high country, above the timberline." ..... " 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. "

Because of this emphasis, I decided to take a photograph of every flower (or flowering weed) I saw the entire ZMM Route!

The ZMM Narrator emphasizes Redwing Blackbirds much in Chapter 1. Here is what he said.:.... "There’s a red-winged blackbird. .. I whack Chris’s knee and point to it. .. "What!" he hollers.
"Blackbird!" .. He says something I don’t hear. "What?" I holler back. .. He grabs the back of my helmet and hollers up, "I’ve seen lots of those, Dad!" .. "Oh!" I holler back. Then I nod. At age eleven you don’t get very impressed with red-winged blackbirds. .. You have to get older for that. …. (three pages later) …. "There! A huge flock of red-winged blackbirds ascends from nests in the cattails, startled by our sound. I swat Chris’s knee a second time—then I remember he has seen them before."

Since the ZMM emphasized them so much, I decided I would photograph every RWBB that I could get within my camera sights. I was surprised to find RWBBs practically the whole ZMM Route! The natural range of RWBBs must be all the northern USA, from Virginia to California!

So here are my flower and Red Winged Blackbird photos along ZMM Route. If you can help me with the names of any of flowers or have other interesting information, please contribute what you can: Names of Flowers, Stories, Photos, etc. Captions for all photos in this album will be completed as soon as possible.