PSA: keep your head on a swivel and your wits about you at west Va state parks

Trbo6gn said:

I hike ALOT all over west virginia. I have a Large K-Bar mounted to the side of my pack and usually my M&P shield close. I worry about coming across homeless/drug addicts. Luckily i've never had an issue.

Click to expand...

I stopped carrying knives when hiking altogether. I can't think of a time when I actually used one.

I've carried my Ruger Alaskan .454 in a belt holster on the family farm in WV. It's a bit large and heavy. I'm thinking a chest holster would be ideal for most situations.

225 grain solid copper hollowpoints are what I had in the cylinder, pretty tame a touch over .44 mag power.

I haven't trained enough with +300 grain hardcast lead to feel confident. A whole another step up of power

PapiBarcelona said:

I've carried my Ruger Alaskan .454 in a belt holster on the family farm in WV. It's a bit large and heavy. I'm thinking a chest holster would be ideal for most situations.

225 grain solid copper hollowpoints are what I had in the cylinder, pretty tame a touch over .44 mag power.

I haven't trained enough with +300 grain hardcast lead to feel confident. A whole another step up of power

Click to expand...

Let me know if you come up with a chest rig you like. I have a Ruger 44 Alaskan and have never carried it in part because I haven't identified a chest rig to hold it yet.

Guys, head over to the handgun forums as to not derail the thread, but there are two good threads about this now. The Kenai chest holster is amazing.

Glad to hear you guys are safe. Interested to hear how the scenario developed to make notes for future reference.

Q

well heres some more info

we have always wanted to see the new river gorge bridge and hope to do the cat walk some day. any way we took vacation, got a hotel in beckley and Monday we did a lotta walking ( for me with a bad back, fake hip and fake ankle anyway) and it is amazing. so Tuesday we were talking about doing the walk that evening if it cooled down a bit and that morning we went to hawks nest state park looking for the tram ride to the bottom of the gorge and the jet boat ride to an area near the bridge. well like most of the time in the mountains we didn't get much gps or phone service so we were having a hard time finding the place. we went too far but were still in the park and we found a park gift shop/ranger station/bathroom building across the street from a nice parking lot with trail sigh's so we stopped and were going to ask directions. anyway once we got out of the jeep and read the trail sign and saw that there was a cool overlook we decided to do the trail first. after a few hundred yard or so, maybe more idk exactly we came to the overlook area, it is a beautiful place. no one was around. it was reasonably cool, I was with my wife, I was having a great time, then we noticed there were those .25c binoculars down in the overlook area. we didn't have any change so mrs 44 man said I will run back and get a handful of quarters from the jeep, you just relax. so I did.

now this over look id on top of a shear rock cliff 500-600 feet straight up. its 20-30 steps down with nice steps a center handrail and rock walls on both sides that tie into 42" block walls that are oval shaped with a spiked fence above that 12 inches tall to keep you from climbing up and falling to the gorge bottom. any way its a beautiful place and I relaxed and took pictures and was waiting for my wife.

while looking out at the river I then heard three voices behind me. I turned sideways to see three men in their twenties at the top of the stairs. one told the other two " he looks just right, go get whatever he has and I will watch for his wife up here".

it was then that I realized I was in a pit with only one way in or out and out was now blocked by three guys wanting whatever I had.

now I realized I was up shits creek but I was armed so I had to think quick.

I backed up to the wall so the couldn't get behind me, moved around so I could see all three of them, took my s&w bodyguard outta my pocket and crossed my arms with the pistol covered and waited.

they came down and when they were maybe 20 feet away asked if I was from around there I said no. they came closer and I told them they were close enough then they stopped and said they had a gun and for me to give them everything I had and to hurry up before my wife got back. I was worried for my wife. anyway I told them no. they said whey. I said they were both close enough to shoot and that I was not giving them a damn thing.

then the one up top starts yelling something at me and about that I look up and my wife walks right past them, down the damn stairs followed on the other side of the rail by the third guy. now I am like shit. my plan was if neccassary to shoot the two in the pit with me, they were on my stron side, ten feet away and easy enough target and then I figured on at least shooting at the third guy and see what happened but now my wife who is trying to protect me is in the pit and all three bad guys are in the pit. when they were looking at her coming down the stairs I took the opportunity to take six or eight steps towards the stairs, my wife went to the other side of the pit and for whatever reason the third guy went over to the other guys. now I am in the center, they are in a bunch at the small end of the pit so I told my wife to go back up the stairs and she did but the third guy still says we aren't done here, give us your money. I then uncrossed my arms and they saw I was armed and that was the end of it.

we told the park lady at the store who wrote everything down. she said that this kinda thing happens a lot. all the time. especially where the trails are close to a road and areas that they can trap someone in and that they try and prey on older touristy type people.

anyway we went back to our hotel and mrs 44 man wanted to go home so we stayed until yesterday morning and them cam home.

its a shame shit like that happens but I am glad I was armed, at least to some extent, I just didn't feel any of my 44's were light enough to carry on longer hikes. and I don't believe those three guys had a gun but I really don't know. and I am really glad nothing happened to my wife. and I wish she hadn't ran down into that mess to help me, that scared me a whole lot more than those three bad guys did.

and one more thing, yesterday was the start of the big boy scout jamboree right near there. I hope nothing like this happens to any of those kids or their troop leaders.

and I really hate pill heads and meth heads

oh yeah, the ranger also said most of the time they only do this near the road so if you usually hike deeper in the woods and on the more traveled trails you are better off.

I'm very relieved to hear that you're both OK.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

And thank all y'all for your well wishes, they mean a lot.

I guess the moral of the story is always be prepared and keep situationally aware

Makes my blood boil, and sorry for your troubles. Glad you and your wife got out of there ok!

Without that Smith, as would likely be the case for many and most here in Maryland, this story probably has a far worse ending.

44man said:

well heres some more info


while looking out at the river I then heard three voices behind me. I turned sideways to see three men in their twenties at the top of the stairs. one told the other two " he looks just right, go get whatever he has and I will watch for his wife up here".



we told the park lady at the store who wrote everything down. she said that this kinda thing happens a lot. all the time. especially where the trails are close to a road and areas that they can trap someone in and that they try and prey on older touristy type people.one more thing, yesterday was the start of the big boy scout jamboree right near there. I hope nothing like this happens to any of those kids or their troop leaders.

and I really hate pill heads and meth heads

Click to expand...

So it is a known problem that happens all the time? Were there any warning notices or were they worried it might discourage tourism if they let people know you could be robbed or worse.

It's good you were in a free state and had the means to protect yourself and family.

That sounds like one nerve-wracking encounter. Glad you were able to defend yourself. My wife and I vacation in WV a lot, I appreciate the warning and advice about scumbags targeting tourists in remote areas.

As to your choice of carry piece, this really drives home the lesson that "a .380 in your pocket is better than the .45 you left back home". Or I guess, a .44 in your case.

How dare you escalate the situation with your hateful violence! Did you not listen to Tamika Mallory's speech at the recent Women's March on the DOJ building in DC? These people need food, and housing, and jobs ...

I'm glad you're both okay.

Good thinking on your part 44man on a tough situation. Way to keep your cool.

Thanks for sharing. Glad everyone is OK. I'm curious to know what they said when they discovered you were armed? Did they just walk off or did they try to diffuse the situation? Did you ever see the gun they claimed to have?

Sorry for the questions, just curious about their reaction.

Wow What a story! Thank God you were armed. Thank you for sharing. Stuff like this keeps me motivated to carry consistently and not get lazy about putting the gun on.

BigT5g said:

Wow What a story! Thank God you were armed. Thank you for sharing. Stuff like this keeps me motivated to carry consistently and not get lazy about putting the gun on.

Click to expand...

One of the reasons I really love little revolvers - hardly know it's there.

Uncle Duke said:

Makes my blood boil, and sorry for your troubles. Glad you and your wife got out of there ok!

Without that Smith, as would likely be the case for many and most here in Maryland, this story probably has a far worse ending.

Click to expand...

Me too. What's the world coming to when you can't stop at a lookout along the side of the road out in the country?
Glad you and the Mrs. are OK 44Man.

After you have more time to relax, write it all down so you won't forget anything. Maybe a call to the local media would be in order so others will know. And maybe the WVa lawmakers that voted for constitutional carry too. Heck, even try the NRA so it can be included in the Armed Citizen. Very glad it worked out good for you two.

snallygaster said:

Thanks for sharing. Glad everyone is OK. I'm curious to know what they said when they discovered you were armed? Did they just walk off or did they try to diffuse the situation? Did you ever see the gun they claimed to have?

Sorry for the questions, just curious about their reaction.

Click to expand...

I never saw their gun and l doubt they had one but I wasn't risking injury to my wife since I wasn't sure.

When they saw my gun they got quiet and didn't seem to want to look at me and that was fine with me