View Full Version : PATC Cabins
Nicksaari
11-01-2008, 18:04
as a member of the Potomac AT Club, i wonder if anyone out there on WB has visited any of the cabins from rockfish gap to somewhere in PA?
any time i backpack in winter, my destination is one of these beautiful cabins.
im about to head out to the vining tract, situated on the south slope of Hightop mtn, and stay at one of the five cabins tomorrow.
nothing beats a cabin stay in cooler weather. its your homestead for the evening. stockpile wood. read the journals. drink some beverages. watch the snow fall from within your 90 degree cabin.
share anecdotes of your cabin stays.
I was just talking with a friend about PATC's cabins last weekend. Any photos of these cabins, especially their interiors?
Nicksaari
11-01-2008, 18:26
oh man, check out their website potomacappalachain.org or however its spelled.
also, webshots.com search "PATC cabins" a lady and her husband have stayed and documented at most of the cabins. or google seach PATC cabins. lots of pics, just got to know where to find them.
you're in PA, you should check them out. quite a few cabins along the trail in SNP, a few in Md and PA. ive been around in my near 26 years. all over the country, central and south america, Indonesia, etc. but there is nothing more comforting and exciting than staying at one of these cabins. they are truly magical. do it up like a pioneer. no elec no running water, just you and the cabin and the awesome dynamic of mother nature and geology and weather.
Blissful
11-01-2008, 20:27
Stayed in three with our church youth group.
Doyles River Cabin, SNP. Nice cabin and close to a waterfall route. Near the AT to make a great circuit hike with the waterfalls.
Jones Mtn Cabin, SNP - most isolated in SNP which makes it more interesting, IMO.
Rock Spring Cabin, SNP - great view but it was cold there in late March. Nearby though to interesting hikes like Hawksbill Mtn and down the road from White Oak canyon
Nicksaari
11-01-2008, 20:46
stayed at the johnson cabin one night during the tail end of some huge low pressure system. clear and cold, but 40 mph + winds. the gusts would change the air pressure inside the cabin, but i was intoxicated and carried on a conversation with my dog.
prayed to god last march, upset that there was no snow in richmond all winter. stayed at the mutton top cabin on a mild evening. awoke to an inch and a half of fresh powder. a winter wonderland. i saw god that day and thanked him profusely and didnt partake in drinking alcohol or cursing for about a week or so. i found god once again at a PATC cabin
Nicksaari
11-01-2008, 20:47
that was officially my 100th post. i love you WB! random ppl that love the trail
Do you have to be member of the PATC to stay in a cabin?
Do you have to be member of the PATC to stay in a cabin?
Some cabins yes, others no. Full details are in the cabins section of PATC's website. They also publish a book about all the cabins, their amenities, directions (drive-in and hike-in), and about membership. You can also view a calendar that shows availability for each cabin (when they're not already rented or reserved by work crews).
I've been in quite a few of PATC's Virginia cabins. No two are alike. Some are as rustic as AT shelters. Others have indoor plumbing and electricity. Most have pretty historic roots, and a binder in these cabins take you on a trip back in time.
The cabins are maintained by volunteers, much like almost everything else in PATC-land.
and PATC has signs all up and down the AT (just another example of the hypocrisy of no AT signage rules/laws unless ..............................)
Full details are in the cabins section of PATC's website.
Thank you for calling this information to my attention. PATC's cabins appear to be popular destinations.
and PATC has signs all up and down the AT (just another example of the hypocrisy of no AT signage rules/laws unless ..............................)
Most of the signage in PATC's territory, and other maintaining clubs' territories, identify side trails to viewpoints or parking trailheads, intersections with other trails, shelters, and cabins. Almost all of these are not-for-profit, or at least non-commercial, endeavors maintained by volunteers or government partners. Exceptions would be lodges in SNP, huts in the Whites, etc. that are almost right on the Trail.
Signage to commercial businesses is discouraged because once it starts, there is no end to it. Do we really want signs at every side trail, trailhead, or trail intersection advertising pizza shops, motels, or brothels?
Hikers have access to most of this information (well, maybe not the brothels!) via guidebooks and sometimes messages left in shelter registers. That may be the best way to convey information without over-commercializing the AT.
Okay, folks, this is getting goofy. Please cease and desist carrying arguments from the WHL thread over here.
Thanks,
Marta
trailangelmary
11-02-2008, 22:18
WHL thread
Sorry, I'm not catching it right away...what is WHL
It's the White House Landing thread, which has turned into a wrangle about having or not having signs on the Trail which point towards commercial enterprises.
trailangelmary
11-02-2008, 22:42
Thanks Marta. Of course. Realized it right after I hit the submit button LOL.
Nicksaari
11-03-2008, 19:29
well i got back from a two night stay at the Johnson Cabin in the vining tract. the color of the trees was at its pinnacle, a true spectacle. the woods made the air thick and an iridescent yellowish tint.
i couldnt have had better timing.
so go check out the website, and stay at some of the cabins
wystiria
03-18-2009, 16:09
planning to stay at the Michener cabin in May - looking forward to it!
Blissful
03-19-2009, 20:02
We'll be at Corbin cabin with a crew of teens coming up soon.
shelterbuilder
03-20-2009, 09:29
I've never stayed at any of PATC's cabins, but I've hiked past a few of them - great log construction (but then, I'm a log-freak!). I'd love to see the inside of some of them.
BMECC has one like this - built around the 1930's out of chestnut logs. RUSTIC - BEAUTIFUL. Small - it only sleeps 4, but it's near the AT at Rt. 501. One of my favorite places - especially in the wintertime.
Nicksaari
03-20-2009, 20:05
booked the Cliff's House (PATC owned- private residence deeded to PATC) for my best friends "bachelor party". no strippers, we are all educated southern gentlemen. look forward to good food, libation with best friends, splitting wood, wildflowers, and the emergence of spring.
best part is these guys are total flat landers- from Va Beach-dont get to the mtns much...out of breath when faced with a ten foot elevation gain. they get to see me in my element, the mountain man cometh.
We've stayed at Corbin Cabin (NSP) for a few nights and more recently at Bear Spring Cabin (Md). Both were good experiences.
The BS cabin stay was an overnight destination during a cold Thanksgiving week hike from PA to HF. It was so nice to be able to build a fire and close the door. Wish we had scheduled more time there. These cabins are a great resource. Thanks, PATC!
Lemni Skate
05-10-2009, 16:10
I stayed at Range View in SNP with my family last Halloween. Absolutely loved it. Big buck out front scratching his antlers. Great spring (Real nice view from spring) and ripe apples all over the trees on the way from the AT to the cabin. Only minus is that you get a lot of "company." We had a lot of people drop by out of curiosity. I didn't care as I like talking, but I know it drives some people nuts.
I also stayed at Highacre last Easter and while it's not a primitive cabin (running water and electricity), it is Historic. It's only a few feet off the AT(there are no signs so you don't get unexpected visitors). It overlooks the entire town and only about 100 feet from Jefferson Rock. It is just above the famous ruins of the church. A great base of operations for a zero day in Harper's Ferry.
Everyone I ran into (even the townies) was so jealous when they heard I was staying there (with my family). It is a beautiful place and visible from pretty much anywhere in town.