​On Day #29 of our 30-day, 9376 mile, road trip to see more of America we visited the Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, West Virginia.

The Blackwater Falls State Park is located in the Allegheny Mountains of northern West Virginia and boasts a 57-foot set of waterfalls with water that is tinted “black” due to the tannic acid from fallen hemlock leaves and red spruce needles from trees in the area. After falling over 5 stories, the dark water runs through an eight-mile long gorge. A boardwalk makes it easy to get close to the falls for viewing. Several other trails, requiring more arduous hiking, provide different views of the falls if you are more adventurous. The Blackwater Falls are one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia appearing on calendars, stationery, and all sorts of other merchandise advertising the State.
 
Formally established in 1937 with 446 acres, in addition to the falls, today the 2,358 acre park has over 20 miles of pristine hiking trails. The park also has a nature center, boat rentals, and the longest sledding magic carpet on the East Coast.
 
The beauty of the Blackwater Falls is stunning, and the dark colored water that cascades over the falls certainly give it a different look from many of the other waterfalls that we have seen through the years. (click on any photo to start the slideshow):

​Here’s a short video of the Blackwater Falls in action:

If you want to learn more about the Blackwater Falls State Park here are a few links to check out:
 
https://wvstateparks.com/park/blackwater-falls-state-park/
 
http://www.stateparks.com/blackwater_falls_state_park_in_west_virginia.html
   
https://www.canaanvalley.org/outdoor-recreation/listings/blackwater-falls-state-park
 
https://saveblackwater.org/state-park-spotlight-blackwater-falls/

​On Day #28 of our 30-day, 9376 mile, road trip to see more of America we visited the Green Bank Observatory and Telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia.

The Green Bank Observatory is home to eight telescopes, ranging in diameter from 40 feet to 300 feet, including the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The Observatory has been a pioneer in radio astronomy since its first telescope, the 85-foot Tatel radio telescope, was built in 1959. The observatory also has a number of test instruments, including Little Big Horn, a calibration instrument built down the side of a hill.
 
To support their radio telescopes the Observatory has a full complement of radio receivers capturing frequencies as low as 290 MHz to as high as 115 GHz. The GBT’s specific suite of receivers spans 100 MHz to 100 GHz, and its processors can spot nanosecond timing differences in the signals collected by its giant 2.3-acre dish.
 
The GBT is 485 feet tall and weighs 8,400 tons. To enhance its collection capabilities the telescope has 2,209 active surface actuators - small motors used to adjust the position of the 2,004 surface panels on the telescope’s 330 by 365 foot collection surface. The panels are made from aluminum manufactured to a surface tolerance of less than 0.0020 inches.
 
The Green Bank Observatory is located near the center of the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) which provides protection from permanent, fixed, licensed radio transmitters. Surrounded by Monongahela National Forest, and the mountainous terrain of West Virginia, the Observatory’s operations are well protected from extraneous radio signals. There is even a West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zoning Act which allows the Observatory to prohibit the use of any electrical equipment within a ten mile radius which causes any interference to Radio Astronomical Observations.

A few of the Observatory’s notable scientific accomplishments are:

• First unambiguous discovery of a radio recombination line (1965)
• First pulsar discovered in a supernova remnant (1968)
• Discovery of compact HII regions (1961)
• First organic polyatomic molecule ever detected in the interstellar medium (1969)
• First long-chain molecule detected (HC3N) (1971)
• First detection of Zeeman splitting (1968)
• First detection of HI absorption by another galaxy (1970)
• First transcontinental observations using VLBI techniques (1968)
• First detection of a pre-biotic molecules in space (2008)
• First detection of a chiral (handed) molecule in space (2016)

 
In addition to “normal” astronomical observations the GBT is associated with the “Breakthrough Listen” project which searches for radio signals emitted by extraterrestrials. In 2017, the GBT was used to scan ʻOumuamua, the first known interstellar object passing through our Solar System, for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.
 
The Green Bank Telescope is a sight to behold and its massive white framework provides a stunning contrast when viewed against the green mountains of West Virginia. (click on any photo to start the slideshow):

​Here are some photos that have been generated based on the GBT’s radio observations of space (click on any photo to start the slideshow):

If you want to learn more about the Green Bank Observatory and Telescope here are a few links to check out:
 
https://greenbankobservatory.org/
 
https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/gbt/
 
https://www.space.com/green-bank-observatory.html    

Like most websites, ever since we launched our Hiking, Camping and Shooting (HCS) website we’ve tracked the statistics to see who our readers are, where they’re located and what they read. Since 2020 just finished we thought that we would share some of our statistics from the year with all of you.
 
In 2020 we had readers from 81 different Countries from around the world, with 87% or our readers coming from the United States, and the largest concentrations outside the US being from the following 20 Countries:

In fact we've now had people from 126 different countries view our website over the past 3 years (2018, 2019 and 2020).

​We have readers from all 50 of the United States - with the largest concentrations being in the following 15 States:

​The 25 pages and blog posts that people read the most during 2020 were:

Unlike the previous ​two years, in 2020 we had far more page views on our "Shooting" pages than either our "Hiking" or "Camping" pages. Probably because of the craziness of 2020 and the fact that approximately 40 million new firearms were sold during the year.

The majority of our users look at our website between the hours of 9:00 AM and 12:00 AM (midnight).

​Most of our readers find us either by searching on Google (82%) or by previously having been to our website and coming directly to us (10%). A much smaller percentage (5%) find us through our Hiking, Camping and Shooting Facebook page.

​The majority of our users view our website from either their mobile device (50%) or their desktop computer (46%) using either Chrome (51%) or Safari (36%) browsers.

​Hopefully this data shows you that  in 2020 you were in good company as you read through our Hiking, Camping and Shooting gear write-ups and blog posts. Our wish is that they gave you some information that made all of your adventures a little more fun. Wherever you’re from, we’re glad that you stopped by to look over our HCS website and look forward to seeing you again in 2021.

​This week the FBI released the numbers for firearms sold in December 2020. During the month there were 3,937,066 sales, making it the highest month of 2020 and the highest month on record for background checks since the FBI began keeping statistics in 1998. In the process breaking the previous December record of 3,314,594 checks, set in December 2015, and the previous all-time high of 3,931,607 set in June 2020. This made the total number of firearms sold in 2020 equal to 39,695,315 - just shy of 40 million.

In actuality there were probably even more firearms sold since anybody who has a concealed carry permit has already passed a NICS background check, so in many states when they purchase a new firearm a NICS check does not have to be run again. In addition, in most states a NICS check is not required for private firearm sales between two individuals. And finally, a single NICS check allows a person to buy multiple guns during the same transaction. The background check numbers would have probably been even higher, if the "in stock" inventory at most gun stores had been fuller.
 
It's also estimated that more than 8.4 million people legally purchased a firearm for the first time in 2020. Clearly people want to defend themselves and after the craziness of 2020 have doubts about the Government and Police doing it for them.
 
You can see all the details, and statistics since 1998, on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) website at:
 
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/nics

Well, 2020 is finally over, and what a strange year it has been. As we’ve mentioned in earlier blogs ("4 Rules for Handling a Firearm" and "The Unprecedented Surge in US Gun Sales During the Covid-19 Pandemic"), the unrest and uncertainty of 2020 has driven a record number of firearm sales. In fact the latest FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) numbers for January through November 2020 show that 35,758,249 firearms have been sold in the US during the past 11 months; 10,325,393 (40.6%) more than during the first 11 months of 2019. The final data for December 2020 hasn’t been released yet, but it will probably push the sales numbers to over 40M for the year; far more than any other year on record. Obviously people are concerned about protecting themselves – to include an estimated 8 million new gun owners. In fact, one study estimates that first-time buyers accounted for 40% of the firearm purchases that were made in the first seven months of the year.

Back in June we highlighted a great infographic from the Minuteman Review about "The true story behind the unprecedented surge in US gun sales during the Covid-19 pandemic" after Jay, one of their writers, reached out to us based on reading some of our blogs – to include "4 Rules for Handling a Firearm" and “Accurate Handgun Shooting”, which both specifically focused on some of the topics that new shooters needed to know.

Since then, the craziness of 2020 has continued, and in December Jay reached out to us again – this time with an article that he had written about “Back to Basics - What Beginners Need to Know About Handguns”. Because it fit with our point of view, Jay asked that we pass it on to all of our readers. So here it is:
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Ever since the Second Amendment gave us the right to bear arms, many people have taken up this opportunity. Some carry a handgun for hunting purposes – for example, when they need a backup for their rifle. Others may need it for safety purposes. For instance, if you live in a bad neighborhood, then having that handgun around might make you feel safer (particularly if you fear burglars or muggers). Still, when you purchase a gun, you need to know every possible thing about it. From what a handgun is, to how to use it, and safety issues. This article will touch on all these basics. 

What Are Handguns?
As its name suggests, a handgun is a type of firearm that was designed to be held in just one hand. Even with that in mind, experts recommend that you use both hands when holding the gun, as it will offer you better stability and more precise shooting. Handguns are a good choice if your target is somewhere between 3 to 30 feet (~1 to 10 meters) away, but they are not particularly recommended for long-distance shooting. For that, you will need a shotgun or a rifle, which can shoot farther. 

Handguns branch out into two main types: pistols and revolvers. Pistols are made so that projectiles can be fired from an integrated magazine (normally located in the handgrip) through a chamber integral to the gun’s barrel. Some common examples are the Glock series, the Smith & Wesson M&Ps, and the SIG Sauer P320. These types of weapons also allow for firearm accessories such as targeting sights, lights, suppressors, holsters, and so on. 

While revolvers are similar, they do have some key differences. They do not have an integrated chamber that is permanently in line with the handgun’s barrel. Revolvers have a rotating cylinder that sequentially cycles the bullets in front a single barrel. The cartridges of the gun are put into chambers, which are configured into a circle in the cylinder. The cylinder is then rotated and the cartridges are fired through the barrel when the trigger is pulled.  
 
Basic Handgun Lingo
In order to understand handguns, you first need to understand bullets. A bullet can be referred to as either a “round” or a “cartridge” – but in most cases, the word “bullet” is what’s most commonly used. But, that is only half the truth. To put it simply, the bullet is the part of the round that goes down the barrel and shoots towards the target.

The round has other parts too, such as the casing, gunpowder, and primer. The primer is the part from the back of the casing that will ignite the gunpowder, sending the bullet flying. Some of these parts are discarded once the trigger is pulled, and only the bullet part will reach the target.
 
Understanding Handgun Safety
Safety is the first thing you should concern yourself with when you are using a handgun. We’re talking about the basics of the basics, and without learning them you should not even begin to touch a gun. Here are some rules that you should look on as the commandments of handling a firearm.
 
1. Treat Your Gun as If It’s Loaded
Your gun may not be loaded. Maybe you made a habit out of unloading it after every use. Maybe you believe the gun is not loaded. But you can’t be certain that you didn’t forget to unload it; maybe you said you’d do it later and then forgot. Or maybe your spouse loaded it after you unloaded it, and then forgot to unload it afterward. This is why you should always treat a gun as if it is loaded at all times, and check it when you first pick it up.
 
2. Always Point the Muzzle in the Safe Direction
Guns can go off if you are not careful enough when handling them. As a result, unless you are actively trying to shoot at a target, do not point the muzzle at something you don’t intend to shoot at. This is particularly important when you are loading or unloading a handgun, as it might accidentally go off. Make a habit to always be in control of the direction of your gun’s muzzle because in some States you can even be fined if you point the muzzle at someone if it’s not for self-defense (see Vermont “4011. Aiming gun at another”).

3. Unload or Secure the Handgun when Not in Use
A handgun should not be loaded unless you are planning to use it. If you are in the shooting area, then you have to load it. However, if you are at home or relaxing in a safe environment, you shouldn’t keep your gun loaded and unattended. Outdoors, your gun may be stolen and will put your life in danger – and indoors, if you have kids, it can put their lives in danger. Refrain from climbing trees or doing any awkward activities with a loaded (and unholstered) gun, since it can go off if you’re not careful. If you do keep your firearm loaded – then make sure it is in your immediate control, secured in your holster, a safe, or lockbox whenever possible.
 
4. Don’t Rely on the Handgun’s Safety
Most handguns have a “safety” that prevents you from accidentally firing the weapon. Because of that, you should feel more at ease when carrying a loaded gun with you. However, like every other mechanical device, firearms can be accidently triggered or malfunction. The last thing you want is for your gun’s safety to become inoperable at the worst moment. Apporximately 1% of the gun-related deaths in 2018 were accidental, and it’s usually because the people relied on the handgun’s safety too much.

5. Use the Correct Ammunition
When loading your gun, make sure that you use the correct ammunition required for your firearm. Don’t go for the “good enough” option that apparently fits in the barrel. A shot made with the wrong bullet can not only wreck your handgun, but can also lead to injury or death. In addition, make sure that the bullets you are using have been stored properly before use; normally a cool, dry place. They should not be kept in humid places, and you should not spray solvents or oil on them. Needless to say, they should not be submerged in water either.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
The main thing about handguns is that if you want to use one, you should learn about firearms safety first. Make sure to properly learn about the weapon, the bullets it should use and how to conduct yourself while handling a gun. Once you have the safety requirements down, you should be able to properly practice with your gun to improve your accuracy and self-defense skills.
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About Jay: Jay is a pro free speech business owner based in Austin, Texas. Having lived through several natural disasters and more than a few man-made ones (hello 2008), he believes that resilience and self-sufficiency are essential in this increasingly unpredictable world. That’s why he started a business! Jay writes over at the Minuteman Review.

​On Day #28 of our 30-day, 9376 mile, road trip to see more of America we visited both the New River Gorge Bridge and the Grandview Park in Fayetteville and Beckley West Virginia.

The New River Gorge Bridge is a 3,031 foot long bridge that’s 876 feet above the New River. When construction was completed on 22 October 1977 the drive across the gorge was reduced from 45 minutes on winding mountain roads to less than a minute. The bridge is the longest steel span bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the third highest bridge in the United States, and is made out of Cor-ten steel, which has a rust-like appearance that doesn’t need painting. The bridge was even selected as the image for West Virginia on the 2006 commemorative State Quarter series released by the US Mint.
 
73,000-acres of the West Virginia canyon was designated as the “New River Gorge National River” in 1978, and will be upgraded to “National Park and Preserve” in 2021; one of only five such designations from the National Park Service (the other 4 are all in Alaska: Denali, Glacier Bay, Katmai and Wrangell-St. Elias). Although this new designation will create a 7,021-acre park in the center of the gorge around the existing Visitor’s Center, and will designate the other 65,165 acres as a national preserve which will allow for backcountry hunting, the management of what will become the 63rd US National Park should essentially be the same as it was for the river.
 
Located approximately 40 miles (~50 minutes) South of the New Gorge Bridge (six miles after getting off of I-64 at Exit 129) is the 52 acre Grandview Park. Built in 1939 as a day park, and significantly upgraded by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who built roads, shelters, and a picnic area during the Great Depression, the park provides some of the most dramatic views of the New River and is a popular place for hiking and sightseeing. Originally part of the West Virginia State Park system, it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1990. From the Main Overlook, which is 1,400 feet above the river, you can see more than seven miles of the New River and its surrounding forests. There are even better views from the Turkey Spur Path. Wildlife abounds and the vistas are pristine.
 
The New River Gorge Bridge is a stunning architectural achievement and the views of it, and those in the Grandview Park are spectacular – well worth the trip (click on any photo to start the slideshow):

If you want to learn more about the New River Gorge Bridge and Grandview Park here are a few links to check out:          
 
https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
 
https://www.nps.gov/places/new-river-gorge-bridge.htm
 
https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/nrgbridge.htm
 
https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/grandview.htm

This week has been a busy week for our readers since we’ve had several of them reach out with comments or links to articles complementary to gear write-ups and blog posts on our website.
 
The latest was Louis from Outdoor Explorer, a new Australian website all about camping and the great outdoors. Louis had recently read our blog post about The “Outdoor Code”, “Leave No Trace” and Low Impact Camping and reached out to share his article about the 8 Benefits of Camping – Why It’s Fun AND Good For You.

We thought that Louis’ article had some great information – to include links to detailed references for each of the 8 benefits he cites – so we thought that we would pass it on.
 
All of us that love the outdoors know that being in the outback, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday city or suburban life, is invigorating and makes us feel better. But, as Louis’ article asks, what can you tell a friend that’s reluctant to head outside to convince them that “camping is not only fun, but also great for boosting your mood, lowering stress, building relationships and generally improving your overall health!” To help you solve that problem Louis “put together this list of the 8 major benefits of camping” so that you can “shoot it off to your friends that are having trouble finding the motivation to leave their creature comforts behind and go camping with you!”
 
The 8 benefits that Louis cites are:

• Fresh Air
• Socialisation
• Improved Mood
• Less Stress
• Exercise
• Better Sleep Cycles
• New Challenges and Experiences
• Get Back In Touch With Nature

 
To get all the details on these 8 camping benefits you should head on over to Outdoor Explorer and read the whole article.
 
We certainly agree with the article’s conclusions that:

• “As well as being fun, camping has a wide variety of secondary benefits that can improve your overall health.”
• “These range from improved digestion and lower blood pressure, through to better sleep quality and lower risk of heart disease.”
• “Camping can reduce your risk of disease while simultaneously extending your lifespan, improving your interpersonal relationships and staving off muscle mass decline and memory loss.”

 
So get out there and enjoy the great outdoors - and take a friend that needs a little convincing with you.

Last week Ray, one of the editors from Sport Fitness Advisor, dropped us a line to comment on some of the information that we have on our HCS website about knives. In his note Ray included a link to an article that they had recently published about Pocket Knives - to include their thoughts on the:

• Best Pocket Knife
• Second Best Pocket Knife
• Best Budget Pick
• Best Pocket Knife for Hunting
• Best Pocket Knife for EDC
• Best Pocket Knife that is also a Multi-Tool
• Best Pocket Knife for Tactical Use
• Best Pocket Knife that is Foldable and Locking
• Best Pocket Knife with a Thumb Hole

Although we’re not convinced that their pick of the Elk Ridge Personalized knife would be our pick for the best knife (but then that's the beauty of looking at and reviewing gear since it all depends on what you plan on using it for and what your specific selection criteria are), we really liked all the detailed FAQ explanations that they included in their article - especially since one of the things we always try to do is to detail the criteria we use to select our gear - and why we like the gear we eventually purchase.
 
The Sport Fitness Advisor article includes some great explanations on:

• What does tang mean in knife terms?
• What are the different kinds of locking blades out there?
• What are the advantages of fixed blade types?
• What are the pros and cons of having a pocket knife compared to using a multi-tool?
• What are the differences between fixed blades and folding types?
• What exactly is EDC? What are the common EDC?
• What are the advantages of having an EDC?
• And our favorite - since they also included the link to an article from Lansky's website from back on 5 February 2013 on "Knife Blade Profiles and Uses"
  • What are the different blade profiles to choose from?
    • https://lansky.com/index.php/blog/knife-blade-profiles-and-uses#.WiP0D3lx3IU

 
You can read the entire "Best Pocket Knife" article from Sport Fitness Advisor here.
       https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/best-pocket-knife.html
 
In closing here’s our two cents on the best pocket knife topic. As you can see on our website’s Hiking and Camping pages we have several knives (and other bladed tools) for different jobs - but our favorite pocket knife is our Case Cutlery 135 Case Slimline Trapper. We also love our Buck 110 Auto.

​With the price of our standard 115 and 124 grain 9mm ammo skyrocketing we decided to add some 9mm steel case ammo to our inventory - specifically for our Kalashnikov KR-9S 9mm AK carbine.
 
Two years ago we had investigated 7.62mm steel case ammo in detail for our MAK-90 (see our blog on "Steel Case Ammo - Is Steel Ammo Good or Bad?"). Back then we ultimately chose Wolf ammo, so this time we only looked to see what Wolf ammo was available in 9mm. Ultimately we purchased some Wolf Performance 9mm 115 Grain FMJ Steel Case Ammo (MFG: P919FMJ – UPC 645611919213) - even though the prices on it have skyrocketed too (from ~$7.99 per box to ~$25.50 per box) - albeit not as much as brass case 9mm ammo.

You can find the details about this 9mm steel case ammo on our Shooting/Ammunition page.

​On Day #27 of our 30-day, 9376 mile, road trip to see more of America we visited the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio (on State Route 73 near Peebles).

The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348 foot long, three foot tall prehistoric effigy mound that was first mapped by Euro-Americans as early as 1815, and was documented in surveys by Squire and Davis in their book on “Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley” which was published in 1848 by the Smithsonian Museum. 

Thought to have been built between 381 BC and 44 BC, the Serpent Mound is the largest serpent effigy in the world and is made from a layer of yellowish clay and ash reinforced with a layer of rocks, and covered with a layer of soil.
 
Following the curve of the land on which it was built, the 20-25 foot wide serpent winds back and forth for more than eight hundred feet. The serpent has seven coils in total, with its head facing the cliff above a stream, and it tail ending in triple-coils. The head has an open mouth extending around the east end of a 120-foot hollow oval feature which may represent the snake eating an egg (or potentially the sun).
 
There is also conjecture that the head area of the serpent is aligned to the summer solstice sunset and that the curves in the serpent's body align with lunar events.
 
As you can see from the photos below – the Great Serpent Mound is a unique ancient artifact worth taking the time to detour for a visit. (click on any photo to start the slideshow):

If you want to learn more about the Great Serpent Mound here are a couple of links to check out:
 
https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/serpent-mound
 
https://www.history.com/topics/landmarks/serpent-mound
 
https://historydaily.org/who-built-the-great-serpent-mound-and-why