Day 824 -- Norris

MontanaPictures.net, the website for people homesick for Montana(tm), seems to be all over this part of the state. This is a picture of the Red Bluff Research Ranch, east of Norris. They even provide a handy link to the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at Montana State University, where they have a description of the ranch:

Red Bluff Ranch is located near Norris in Madison County, Montana, along the west side of the Madison River. The operation comprises 13,750 acres of land, 10,000 deeded and 3,750 leased. Most of this land is rangeland, with limited hay meadows along the valley bottoms. Elevations range from 4,600 feet to 6,200 feet above the Madison River canyon. The ranch occupies most of the once thriving late 19th-early 20th century gold mining community in the Hot Springs Mining District which was second only in gold production to Alder Gulch. At its peak of activity, there may have been a population of approximately 3,000. The ranch nearly surrounds the town of Norris. The founder of Norris, Alexander Norris may have owned much or all of the Red Bluff Ranch at one time. The Red Bluff Research Ranch (previously known as the Rowe Brothers Ranch) was purchased for $164,000 ($16.83 per acre). The total acreage was 9,746. Two U. S. Forest Service Grazing Permits (Muddy Greek, Cache Creek) in the Gallatin National Forest came with the Rowe property. Some small additional land exchanges and purchases have taken place over the last 45 years. The grazing permits were returned to the Forest Service in 1976. A new lambing facility and mixing barn at the ranch was constructed in about 1990. This made lambing much easier. There are currently about 170 head of cattle and 900 head of sheep maintained on a year round basis at the research ranch. These livestock along with the range areas are used for both teaching and research.

I did make it through my long run today. I had run 6.3 miles on Friday, and 7.5 on Saturday. Since I wanted to do about 13 today, I did what any self-respecting mathematician or second grader would do: I added. I ran Friday's route, followed by Saturday's, for a total of 13.8 miles. It wasn't fast, but speed wasn't the point. I felt good at the outset, and really not too bad at the end. I was pleased.