It was Kelley's first trip to Montana and she really enjoyed seeing my children and experiencing a little time in the mountains. Montana is the fourth largest state in the USA and the population is slightly over one million people. There are actually more cows in Montana than people! The number one industry in Montana is agriculture, and livestock makes up approximately two-thirds of the agriculture industry. Of the livestock portion, cattle make up the largest fraction. In fact, there are 2.6 million head of beef cattle in Montana.
Prior to relocating to Indiana several years ago, I resided in Missoula, Montana, for 30 years -- first showing up in "Big Sky Country" in January 1984 to attend the University of Montana at the age of 18. Back then, the town was much smaller and less bustling as it is today. Just in the few years that I've been away from Montana, I returned to find many new commercial construction projects underway, bumper to bumper traffic, and less of a 'laid back feeling' and more of an 'on the run' feeling. Missoula has been named everything from one of the most livable cities in America, to one of the worst-designed cities in the world. In 2015, Missoula was named the most "fitness-friendly city" in the United States.
As beautiful as Montana is, from the clear rivers and lakes to the snow-capped mountains, it is also a state that has its fair share of health concerns. According to Montana public health statistics, of the one million people that call it home, 15 percent live in poverty, 10 percent have diabetes, and 24 percent of adults are considered obese. Hypertension affects 29 percent of Montanans and 19 percent use tobacco. Nearly 20 percent of Montana residents do not have health insurance and approximately 21,000 are unemployed. Also, 14 percent of Montana high schoolers do not graduate. I'm proud that my son, Brian, is one of the 86 percent of Montana young people who graduated from high school this year.
Montana is a state that spans over 145,000 square miles and during the 30 years that I lived there I saw a lot of that state -- particularly when I ran solo across it both ways (2006 and 2008)! It is a state of beauty, but also a state that has some ongoing health and economic concerns. It was wonderful to return to Montana in order to see my son graduate and now it is time for him to blaze his path in life. As always, I look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
