The Meade Hall

[Chungas Revenge]

The WV Overture.

I wandered in off of the 40 section, so you know immediately, that I’m somewhat suspect already.

I’m marking my spot here on this forum IOT document a small project that jumped completely right of center early on and never looked back.

In the beginning there was a fire pit.

 

[Michael B]

I like where this is going

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I think it was somewhere around the age of five that I recollect building my first fort under the kitchen table. You’ll no doubt see that my building skills haven’t changed much since then and Ive stood on the shoulders of people who know what they’re doing and one or two who didn’t.

I sincerely don’t know who should claim the lions share of blame for my obsession to have a proper cabin in the woods. Maybe it was some long forgotten article gleaned from the pages of Boys Life, Outdoor Life or Peterson Hunting Magazine. Maybe it was the undue influence of Mark Twain, Fess Parker or Dick Proenneke. Or, maybe it was just the Hershey Bar fueled overactive imagination of a perpetual five year old.

In the sixty odd years of hard earned hindsight, I figure its best just to tally up the credits and let the blame fall where it may.

I purchased the property as a means to indulge in what Ms Revenge refers to as “Mindless male antics”. That’s an accurate summation so I’ll just use that as the “Why” portion of this thread and save you a bunch of unnecessary rationalization on my part.

The Meade Hall spans about 25 years worth of spitting in the dirt and drawing with a stick planning and execution. I’ll try not to jump back and forth between events, missteps or reality to often but, the path to the Meade Hall was never straight.

So anyway, “The Property” as it’s now referred to, came with a blue tarp clad 12’x14’ palatial structure that was dry except when it was raining or snowing, a plywood floor and a metal roof.

I don’t have early stage pics of the “Trappers Cabin”. But, I’m headed out to The Property this AM to work on the Meade Hall and prep for “Opening Day”. Monday kicks off the legal whitetail season in the Land of Nod.. I’ll snap a few pics.


Good shot of the new and improved benches ((10 yrs ago) and updated wood rack. Fresh coat of Stain to stave off the elements.

0

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Stained the tables in the “Main Dinning Area” and the front porch on the Trappers Cabin (Lil’ Cabin) this fall.

 

[TRDdrew]

i need something like this in my life.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Over the hill and way out yonder.

The Meade Hall compound sits on roughly 84 acres of Ohio Valley hill tops and hollows (Hollar’ in the local vernacular). It’s typical Appalachian chain eastern Forrest with Oak, hickory, poplar, and a fair amount of persimmon. Theres a few scattered pines, black locust and maple to round out the majority of the tract. I’m smack dab center of some larger tracts of land and farms that follow the river and meander up the valley. It’s 6 or so miles to a map dot town and 35 miles or so to any town of note. It’s “out yonder” or “out in the county” incidental of where your coming from

Wildlife starts at ground squirrels and tops out at black bear. Although, I have a few photographs that are in the “unexplained category” that I’ll work into the narrative later.

So, the Lil’ cabin started life as a preexisting stud wall shell. There’s actually 2 layers of 1/2” sheeting on the exterior. Base sheeting is standard 4x8 construction grade plywood and the outer layer is 1/2” Marine Grade plywood. Waaaay out in the overkill category. I’m sure there was some ill conceived logic that got mixed up in the beverage cooler and ended up in the great idea column.

Windows are on sale big chain store sliders. They’re on the small side but, the interior layout lent itself to a short window. Man made river rock cover the cinder block supports. Front porch is conducive to sitting or sipping depending on your mood.

Board and batten visuals to round out the Appalachian vibe. The driveway is straight out of “The Road Not Taken”.

I’m adhering to the old man guild hall rule of no more than 4 hour work per day excluding emergencies. Just settled in after getting back today. I’ll post up some interior pics later.



Older exterior picture from circa 2014/2015.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

i need something like this in my life.

100%, more and more every day.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

When you can’t go out, go up.

Condensing the years into a one sitting read.

We (hunting buddies) looked at several options and weighed varying opinions from the outlandish to the mundane when trying to decide what to do with the shell. It’s not a very big space by modern hunting cabin standards. During one of our rare moments of lucidity someone, I don’t remember who, suggested we could “go up”. 2 story? Kinda made sense until it didn’t.

I think it was during one of those spontaneous late spring cloud bursts, while watching the water run down the inside of the blue water proof tarp, that it occurred to me we could go 2 story inside the existing structure by adding a loft. Tie it in to three sides and move the collar ties on the rafters up as far as possible. So that’s what we did. It’s a little over standing room or so from the loft floor to the ceiling. It’s also a little over 6’ and a couple from the floor to the bottom of the loft. Leaving the joists open makes it feel taller.


Added a loft. Fits two cots with storage space.
Hand rubbed/stained 1x12 ceiling.
Prerequisite board a button walls.
Man made river rock faux fireplace.
1x12 natural slate floor/Diamond pattern.
Natural cedar trim base board and window trim.
Plumbed for Propane.
Refurbed corner table.
Recycled Captains bed.
Hand made bench and storage shelving. Etc etc etc


Wall coloring: I took a brown paper bag to Sherwin Williams and asked them to match it. Digital photo doesn’t translate very well but, it’s spot on paper bag. Thought that was appropriate.

You can see why we used the “short windows”. It’s in a little disarray currently. Going out Sunday AM to reorganize and declutter.

1st pic from the front door looking in. Slightly enhanced pic to show detail. Monarch of the Glen over the mantle with disco Christmas lighting.

2nd pic. Natural slate flooring on the diamond.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

The Captains chamber…

Short windows were a must. Good view of the loft joists, paper bag walls and rough cedar wood window trim.

 

[prwillard2]

I spy a poncho liner and GI wool blankets!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

There’s a couple mid weight mummy bags in the loft too.

I spy a poncho liner and GI wool blankets!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Lil’ cabin feasting area..table and benches were salvaged from the scrap pile, rebuilt and refinished by a hunting buddy.

2nd pic. View looking at the edge of the loft. I was in a hurry yesterday, better pics to follow. Good shot of the hand rubbed 1x on the ceiling.

3rd pic utility storage. Note the homemade ladder. 100% hickory, used to gain access to the loft. Works on a hook and eyelet. I’ll get a pic.

I’m putting out all of this background story IOT get to the Meade Hall. Stay with me it’s all connected. So the whole rustic, rough around the edges, functional, utilitarian themed cabin in the woods is now established.

This is just about the point where things begin to veer off of the wooded path. (Circa 2000-ish)

 

[OG Zuninja]

I love this so much. Definitely following.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Stepping off the porch…



Me: “You know what we need”?

Hunting Buddy: “More beer”?

Me: “No…Well yeah, that too. What we need is a bigger cabin. Maybe just a kitchen. Maybe a bigger cabin with a kitchen.

Hunting Buddy: “With indoor plumbing”?

Me: “Well, we don’t want to get carried away”

I stepped off of the porch and walked over to a relatively flat spot just a few yards from the lil’ cabin. 12’x18’, I reckon that’s plenty big enough for a “bigger cabin”. I could tuck a stove, some cabinets, a double sink into a space that size. Why, a cabin that size would be stately, spacious, it would be a princely structure. Dick Proenneke would be proud to call it home.

I walked back to the porch and eased slowly down into my chair. Pulling my collar up a little tighter as the first tendrils of evening fog began snaking their way up from the valley below, I looked over at Hunting buddy and grinned.

Hunting Buddy: “What”?

Me: “We’re gonna need more beer”.

So, it’s at that moment, illustrated above, that I started pushing the annoying voice of common sense and reasoning to the back of the rational thought line. No room for naysayers on this train. So, if the Lil cabin is the Grandfather of the Meade Hall, this next iteration, the “Big Cabin” is the natural father.

What I don’t have is a series of photographs documenting the “build phase”. That phone was sacrificed to a lake, along with a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. So, what I’ll do is take pics of the pieces, parts and layout of the “Big Cabin” as a means to provide another build narrative. Best I can do.

In the meantime, I’ll add some pics as color commentary, to give you a feel for the place.

Old wheelbarrow we use to haul wood to feed the pit. Slides along nicely behind the SxS. The temporary wood rack in pic was made entirely of scraps. It was supposed to last a single season, two seasons tops. Took it down (mostly fell down) this spring after 20+ years of faithful service. I held a moment of silence before committing it to the flames. Gotta feed the pit.

My open air garage.

 

[TRDdrew]

if I've learned one thing so far from this thread, its that my "story telling" skills suck

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

I hear banjos playing in the background!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I hear banjos playing in the background!

I play it through a loud speaker at the bottom of the hill. Keeps the vegetarians and Harvard professors at bay.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

The opening salvo.


Sunday afternoon: I’m always the 1st on the ground. Usually, I’m staging-prepping, making ready the small things. Top off generator, checking lights and ensuring there’s a basic load of TP in the facility.

There’s always something to do. Hunting buddy performs the annual blowing of the leaves. It’s a precautionary move in preparation for the “lighting of the flame”. The wind was down Sunday and held off most of the day Monday. There was a storm front on the horizon that was due to touch down in the early hours Tuesday. All bets were on the Monday evening hunt.

Temp peaked in the low 50’s Sunday. This brought about considerable b!+ching on the part of our intrepid hunters…High temps translates to an “if” scenario. If an early morning harvest takes place, one of us will deal with it pronto, leaving a single hunter to fend for himself..This has played out a few times in the past.

Meat poll inspected and ready.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

The ways of the woods.

I’ve heard that golfers are the single most superstitious men to ever wander through a perfectly good pasture field with a stick. I’ve listened to stories about them spending an entire day riding around in carts chasing bogeys and mulligans. I’m not disputing the fact they’re an odd lot, I would certainly entertain an informed discussion to the contrary, I’m simply saying hunters are in my opinion, the undisputed champions of bizarre and eccentric behavior when it comes to unexplained rituals and practices.

I have one friend who moves to the basement the week before opening day, in order to avoid performing his “duties” as a husband, for fear that it dulls his instincts and takes edge off of his sense of smell. Another who insists on wearing the exact same clothing down to his skivvies and long handles every day while in the field. And yet another who will eat the same food, breakfast/lunch and dinner for three days prior going to camp.

I have my own peculiar ways.

I light “the flame”. Hunting buddy and I gather around the ring, usually an hour before dark immediately following the “cracking of the beverage ceremony”. It’s important to add a goodly amount of sacred Girl Scout Water to the kindling before touching off the flame, otherwise you don’t get the dramatic eyebrow melting whoosh. It’s a time honored nod to past hunts and is used to ward off bad wind. So far, it’s worked perfectly outside of the cabin, inside not so much.

Edited for golf reference:

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

I can’t shake Dick Proenecke from my soul. With each passing day, the spectrum of sanity takes me his way.