-*-REYNOLDS LODGE-*-

[acorn20]

I spent this Spring and early Summer helping a fellow cruise my property and mark trees 19 1/2" or larger at breast height for harvesting. I received five proposals and last month signed a contract with a lumber broker to timber off about half of my property in Bedford County. My sons and their families, have been after me to design and construct a cabin for hunting and more family related activities. It's always been a dream of my late father's and mine of having a cabin. I've decided to spend my half of the timber proceeds to the cause. Through the years I've been invited to other camps for breakfast and deer or bear hunting. I've been to rustic camps that have "areas" for cooking, eating and sleeping with living interspersed around a heat source and I've been to camps that have "rooms" for the same. I always look forward to visiting and noting what others have as a camp and how it's set up.

I have a small cabin sketched up and of course, both daughter-in-laws are requiring bedrooms. I have two bedrooms planned but also have two bunk rooms...for bunks! I figure it will accommodate twelve people and that should be plenty for family activities, hunting, and girls night out for the DIL's. It'll have a porch that will wrap half the first floor. I have electric on site and plan to sink a well and septic. I helped build a cabin in the eighties and most of the material came right off the site. I've got a few large white pines earmarked for my use and plan to have them milled and profiled for different interior siding. I'll document the building process and with any luck, post it here for all to view. I'm constantly running the sketches and details of the cabin past my one DIL. Special corners on millwork and beaded edges on the beams. I see the gleam in her eye as she reminds me with a saying I heard all through my college years, that "God is in the details!"

The only thing cast in stone at the moment is the name...REYNOLDS LODGE. Named after my inspiration for this build; my father. With a little luck and hard work, this family is going to joins the ranks of individuals going to camp!

[Loggy]

Sounds like a great plan Dan! Yep time to make that dream into reality!! I’ve been fortunate enough to have my Dad’s Sullivan County camp passed to me plus added my Chincoteague property for myself and families enjoyment. As Dutch always says “Life is good “!😀

[Dutch]

Life IS good! Reynolds Lodge is going to be absolutely amazing!!!!

[muttleysback]

There juat isn't anything like having a cabin to hunt out of, Dan. When you have one you will see that. It doesn't have to be all that fancy either.  Our first one had no electricity, running water, and a porta john for a head.  We generated a whole lot of memories at that one.

[fleroo]

Good Luck with the build !

[rusty]

19 1/2" dob are some big trees.

I have been building a new cabin since we had our old one torn down in late April. I have had some help lifting the walls, putting up the rafters and putting on the metal roof, and helped an electrician friend wire the place.

Things move pretty slowly when doing most of the work alone and only working 2-4 days a week, but it's coming along. I expect to add the porch and wood stove next spring. For now, I only heat the room I sleep in with electric.

We bought the place in 2005(I think) and the family loves having a place to go like it. You will not regret having your own camp.

[acorn20]

I met the logger at my property Sunday morning, Christmas Eve, of all days. We traversed the property, traveling on the many roads I have throughout the property. He was quite impressed by the fellow that cruised the property and told me that he wanted to be included on all his future projects in the area.

As we were nearing the halfway point of our tour of the property and project, I noticed a small grin on Tom, the broker. I asked him what was so funny and he asked, "Do you have roads like this through the property?" I said "yes, didn't you walk the property?" He said he only walked about 100 yards of the property from the upper gate and was satisfied with the timber count in that section. So he initially bid this job sight unseen. He said he never had a project like this with roads accessing the areas to be timbered.

He was planning on bringing two dozers to construct roads. He has one on site just to dress the roads and keep them passible. He'll bring the other one in when he starts the reclamation of the roads. The property has a gas well foundation that he's using as a staging area. He's a whole tree logger so they bring the trees to the staging area where he cuts to length and loads the trucks.

I visited the site last Sunday afternoon and he was loading butt loads for shipment. Both of the entrance roads have uphill slopes and I told him that my father and I always wanted to create another road higher on the ridge so that we had access pretty much on the level. Tom took a step toward me and while tapping his fore finger on my chest told me to locate the road and they'll be glad to construct the road for me. He then went on to say they haven't had to build a road yet and it's a quite a time and probably monetary savings to him. He then again stated that they're quite tickled the way the project is going and he said his cutter is claiming that they should be well completed by the end of March. Tom said he doubted that but it shouldn't be much longer than that and then they'll start reclamation of the roads prior to growing season.

[rusty]

Was the guy who did the cruising a forester?

[acorn20]

No Rusty, he isn't. To tell you the truth, I don't know where he might have picked up his education for cruising trees. He's done it for quite a few other people and I'm pleased with the work he did. He broke my property down into about eight sections and has a count of trees in each section.

[jwk]

This is fantastic. I hope everything comes together and your plan becomes a reality!

[acorn20]

I got a call last week that the timbering has for the most part been completed on the property. The fellow that was felling the trees was just about on par with what he thought would be the completion of the project. Road reclamation is next and everything should be in good shape in a couple weeks. I'm really tickled with the outcome of the project. I purchased 8 chestnut trees and 5 persimmon trees and yesterday, I and my son and his FIL planted and installed wire enclosures in a few of the open areas. The property should make for some interesting hunting over the next few years.

My son and I

[Dutch]

Very nice!!

[Loggy]

Sounds like a fun project Dan!!

[davet]

Very nice!! Maybe consider a pear tree or two for early archery!!

[rusty]

Pears are reliable producers most years and the chestnuts at our camp have never failed to produce.
I planted small persimmons trees 9 or ten years ago and they have not produced fruit so far. Two years ago were our first blossoms. It was just two trees and the blossoms on both were male. last year a different tree blossomed with female blooms, but the males had nothing. Hopefully this is the year I finally get a persimmon. I am right above where they are supposed to be able to grow.

Now if I can just get my pawpaws to get bigger. They are growing very slowly.