Conley Cabin
Article and photos by Ben Danforth
When you book a stay at Conley, or any of the club’s 26 primitive cabins, you are leaving the modern world for the duration of your stay. Except, you do get about two bars with Verizon at Conley. But other than that, get ready to kick it like it’s 1899.
A perfect trip to Conley starts with your expectations and preparation. There are so many things to consider, from the food and gear you pack, to the weather, and the drive up Goose Pond Rd. A well-prepared cabin renter is sure to have a great time.
For those who have ever visited one of the six primitive cabins on the 675-acre Vining Tract, you know Goose Pond Rd. could be the setting for any sport utility vehicle commercial. The winding mountain road is state maintained, but dead ends into PATC’s private parking for the cabins, so the dirt road has no through traffic and can become treacherous in bad weather. High clearance vehicles are recommended, but that hasn’t stopped my own Ford Fusion sedan from conquering the journey a handful of times. Keep your tires on the high spots, and it can be done. If you really know how to party like it’s 1899 then you might even have a hand saw with you in case any limbs or blowdowns complicate your journey. Once parked at the top of the road you have a relaxing 5–10-minute hike-in on a gated service road to reach Conley cabin.
That’s where proper packing comes in handy because you don’t want to take several trips back and forth to the car and everything you pack in must be packed out.
For food, I recommend resealable containers. This helps reduce odors that can attract pests, and conveniently keeps your gear clean when packing out any leftovers or scraps. For example, if I know I want to cook a meal with diced onions or fresh peppers I like to pre-slice those ingredients ahead of time and zip-lock bag them. That means no onion peels or pepper seeds need to be discarded or packed out. Any meat cooked on the wonderful stone grated grill should be boneless so you don’t need to pack out the bones. This reduces your waste and helps cabin renters follow the principles of Leave No Trace. I always try to consider what trash the food I pack will create. If the trash does not all fit in a gallon zip-lock then I don’t pack it.
The next important step in planning is to make sure you have the correct bedding for your stay. All PATC cabins have mattresses, so you just need to pack the linens. In a backpacker’s effort to reduce weight and space I have found that a simple sheet makes a great mattress cover and in the summer months a lightweight down quilt is all I need for a comfortable sleep. In the winter a 20 degree down bag is my go to sleep system. Instead of hiking in your MyPillow, consider using your clothes bag as your pillow to save some more pack space.
The last necessity to make sure you have packed is your lighting. Primitive cabins have no lights so a headlamp is useful for getting around the property at night. Once your gear and food are in order, you hopefully have room for a beverage or two in your pack. Keep in mind the cabin has no refrigeration so something consumable at room temperature is probably best if you don’t want to hike in a cooler. For larger groups, a backpack cooler is a great option. Someone in the group can carry in the backpack cooler as long as their linens and necessities fit in someone else’s pack.
With logistics planned and packs packed, you are ready to immerse yourself in a past world and enjoy the charming cabin. Conley cabin features a spacious covered porch with built-in benches, a hanging swing, and Adirondack chairs to soak in the east facing views of Virginia’s Piedmont. The spacious yard features a picnic table, and a covered primitive outdoor kitchen.
The cabin interior features single bunks to sleep eight. For cooking, there is a primitive kitchen including a wood burning cook stove with a drain basin for cleaning dishes, counters for food prep, and cabinets well stocked with cooking utensils. A large table occupies the center of the cabin for a comfortable dining option especially in bad weather. The cabin is one large room but is partitioned by a built-in storage cabinet separating the sleeping quarters from the kitchen area. In addition to the bunks the sleeping area features a cast iron wood stove to warm the cabin on cold days or chilly nights.
Once you are relaxed, refreshed, and acquainted with your surroundings you’ll want to take inventory of what you’ll need to enjoy your stay. In colder months the wood stove can be used to heat the cabin, but that means you’ll need some wood to burn. Each cabin includes cutting tools so you can forage for downed trees and limbs. Conley has a convenient saw buck on the south side of the cabin just steps off the covered porch. Cut wood has a place to be stacked on the porch to keep it dry in rainy weather.
In addition to wood, you might need to gather some water for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. Like a true homestead, water can be gathered at the creek just about 200 yards down the trail towards Wineberry Cabin. This creek is as pure as the alps but in the event of animal waste or decay upstream, it is always best to treat your water by boiling or filtering it before drinking.
With water collected, and wood cut and stacked, you are truly ready to immerse in all this beautiful cabin has to offer. There are miles of private hiking trails connecting several historic man-made vestiges and breathtaking natural features and views scattered throughout the property for you to explore. When you’re not hiking, relish the old-world pace of preparing a primitive meal on the stone grated grill and as the long shadows of the evening succumb to the bright stars and moonlit nights, recap the day around the warming glow of the covered stone fire grill. Enjoy!
