Day 491 – US – Montana [Columbus to Park City]

08/08/21

30km

  From Columbus (Montana) to Park City (Montana)

North America

Another short run, good weather conditions and then the fires again

Off to a good start under bright blue skies

I set out under clear blue skies this morning and a strong wind blowing from the south. I was again cautious about my route as fires keep getting started all over the place. I run on Old US Highway 10 which is pretty much parallel to the main Interstate. I figure out if there is a problem, I should be able to get help quickly. It’s bad enough that it is dry and hot, but the gusty winds make the whole situation very unpredictable. Aside from this concern, the conditions were perfect for running.

There are 3 head of cattle for every human living in Montana!

All the traffic to Billings was on the Interstate – Billings is the largest town in Montana. The road I was on was quiet, as it had been yesterday. To my right the Yellowstone river, the freight train line and fields of cattle mostly (note: there are 2.6 million head of cattle in Montana, three times more than humans). To my left, more fields and behind, the Interstate. Today’s run went by very fast again.

Evacuation underway 25 miles west of where I stay tonight

I reached Park City (MT) another little town by the side of the road with not much behind the gas station, saloon and mini mart. I went in for my lunch and as I left, I noticed the air was much hotter, a bit acrid and the sky was grey. Smoke again. But a few hours later, as I checked the weather forecast, a message popped up from the National Weather Service about “immediate evacuation”. Now that was scary. As it turns out the evacuation zone is where I was yesterday, just west of Columbus. I will have to monitor throughout the evening to ensure the zone I am in remains safe.

Check out today’s flyover video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vdORw39GYK6

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: