Housekeeping and safety on an Adirondack wilderness vacation.

Please WAIT! Then SCROLL DOWN for Fourpeaks SAFETY FIRST! and Guest Information. [ Are you in this picture? ] Occupancy of Fourpeaks accommodations and use of the property is limited to persons and pets covered in our confirming reservation letter.

Occupancy of Fourpeaks accommodations and use of the property is limited to persons and pets covered in our confirming reservation letter.

Guest Information CLICK & GO! (On this page.) Travel Directions: Highways to Fourpeaks. and What to do when you get here. Fourpeaks Guests have Housekeeping responsibilities. About deposit payments and cancellation fees. Limited occupancy. If you bring your pet. Guest Information for Dogs. No Smoking. About arranging your arrival time. "Very unhappy with the degree of hospitality we received." (An Email Exchange.) CLICK HERE for shortened, easily printed version of the Guest Information.

Safety Hazards at our Backcountry Camps. SAFETY FIRST! is a A MUST READ page for all guests.

& Safety First! CLICK & GO! (On the next page.) Why is Safety First? Gas lighting. (How it works.) Gas lighting and cooking safety. Gas emergency information. Heating with wood. Types of wood heaters. Starting a wood fire. Maintaining a fire. Closing down a fire. Wood fire emergency information. Shallow well water. Not for drinking. No campfires at Fourpeaks. No hunting or firearms. Permission by owner. "the process of making the reservation was problematic." (A Letter With a Footnote.) CLICK HERE for shortened, easily printed version of Safety First!

CLICK HERE for more about your Housekeeping Responsibilities-- a list of Cleaning Materials Supplied and a Departure Day Checklist to help you get it right.

HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSIBILITIES. Fourpeaks is a backcountry vacation rental--a private property with no service staff, no chambermaids. Your accommodations will be clean and orderly when you arrive. Our Guest Information--"Leave it as you find it."--floors broom swept, counter and stove surfaces washed, and all contents back in order like when you came. CLICK HERE for more about your Housekeeping Responsibilities-- a list of Cleaning Materials Supplied and a Departure Day Checklist to help you do it right.
Fourpeaks accommodations are supplied with pillows and blankets and most everything else--but not bed linens and towels. Guests must bring their own bed linens and towels. CLICK HERE for more about all the stuff we supply and about bringing bed linens and towels at our Frequently Asked Questions.

Send Deposit Payment by cash or check.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS.
A Deposit Payment of one-half the total rental amount is required to secure reservations. A cancellation fee of 10% of the rental amount applies for reservations cancelled 30 days or more before the rental date. Deposit payments for reservations cancelled less than 30 days before the rental date may not be refundable. Fourpeaks will, in the case of such cancellations, make every effort to rebook the cancelled accommodations, but Deposit Payments will be refunded only to the extent that rebookings can be made, less a 10% cancellation fee. The BALANCE of rental payment for the entire stay is due on arrival. NO REFUNDS for early departure.

Occupancy of Fourpeaks accommodations and use of the property is limited to persons and pets covered in our confirming reservation letter.

OCCUPANCY of the accommodations and use of the property is limited to persons (and pets, if any) covered in our Reservation Letter (which also shows dates, place and price.) Changes or additions to your vacation party must be arranged in advance. This includes day visitors. [The maximum number of persons in the description of each rental is our suggestion for single family occupancy, a couple with kids under 18.]
[MORE ABOUT Occupancy. Planning a family reunion? Sharing an accommodation with another family or couple. Planning something with group of friends. ]
[CLICK HERE if you plan to bring your pet.]

CLICK HERE for Rental Terms for Dogs and to meet Tramp Your Canine Vacation Host. A MUST READ for guests with dogs.

Guest Information FOR DOGS..
Your dog is welcome if arranged in advance and covered in our Reservation Letter.
Your pet must be under your control at all times (on lead or off lead).
Pets may not be left alone in the buildings.
[CLICK HERE if you plan to bring your pet dog to Fourpeaks. This page is a MUST READ for guests with dogs.]

Smoking is not permitted in any of the Fourpeaks accommodations.

NO SMOKING.
Fourpeaks is a smoke-free vacation place.
Smoking is NOT PERMITTED in any of the Fourpeaks living spaces.
(If you must smoke--please do it out-of-doors, in the privy, on an open porch, screened porch or view deck. Carefully extinguish matches and crush and pick up your butts. Thanks.)

Travel Directions: Highways to Fourpeaks. Fourpeaks is on a New York State Scenic River Corridor. (It' so pretty we decided years ago even a small sign would seem out of place.) And Stonehouse Road in Jay NY 12941 is probably not on your map! You need these travel directions to get here! Special Section for arriving guests--What to do When you get Here and How to Get to Your Rental! CLICK HERE for complete Travel Directions: Highways to Fourpeaks and What to do When you get Here.

We need to know your arrival time.

WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT TIME TO EXPECT YOU.
Just like you, we're not home every day all day. We need to know about what time you expect to arrive, so we'll be available to greet you in a timely way.
Let us know when making your reservation. Not sure? Make an estimate. The exact time is not important. But whether it's early afternoon or late, or some other time that we arrange with you, we need to know when to be around.
Arrivals are OK any time after 1PM until an hour before sunset.
After 1PM. We'll agree to an earlier arrival time, if at all possible.
An hour before sunset. Except for returning guests, late arrivals are a problem. Arriving after dark at an unfamiliar off-the-road camp--without electric lighting or central heat--can be unpleasant and is certainly unsafe. Guests arriving after dark for any reason should contact us by phone, and go to the Camp Barn Office on arrival. While we will do our very best to accommodate them, guests staying at Ridge or Wolf should be prepared to take alternate housing arrangements for the first night of their stay. [CLICK HERE for complete local sun and moon information, including time for sunset.]
Phone us when you arrive. Use phone at Scotty, our phone-booth-in-a-trailer, or your cell phone. Thanks. (CLICK HERE for more about what to do when you arrive.)

CLICK HERE for Emergency Information and a directory of local services.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION for Fourpeaks Guests. What to do. CLICK HERE for a thorough directory of local emergency services. A copy is distributed to guests on arrival. YOUR HOST IS THERE TO HELP! In any Emergency Situation please come to Camp Barn for help and assistance day or night.

"Very unhappy with the degree of hospitality we received." (An Email Exchange.)
Subject: REMOVE Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 17:30:18 EDT From: "KC"@aol.com To: YourAdirondackGuide@4peaks.com Subject: our stay Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 17:54:40 EDT From: "KC"@aol.com To: YourAdirondackGuide@4peaks.com Dear Martin, My husband, David, and I just finished a week long stay at the The Cabin. Not usually one to criticize, I feel there is something I need to pass on. David and I were very unhappy with the degree of hospitality we recieved. I am not speaking of the accomadations. In fact, we found The Cabin to be quite nice and we enjoyed the area and the isolation. The problem- we felt like an inconvenience. We did not expect to be treated as though we were at the Hilton, but we did expect some degree of common respect. We were treated as tourists who probably were not prepared for the primitive setting that we chose. This was not the case. I am sure that you have had guests that were unhappy in this respect, but It would be wise not to treat eveyone with the same degree of skepticism that we were confronted with during our stay. Did we love the area and Our cabin, Yes we did. Will we be returning- absolutely not. If you wish to encourage return visitors, I would recommend that you treat your guests more fairly, not just as an inconvenience to be gotten rid of by returning part of thier fee and sending them to a hotel. Kim C. Subject: Re: our stay Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 13:44:54 -0400 From: MartinAndLouise Reply-To: VisitUs@4peaks.com Organization: Fourpeaks--Adirondack Backcountry Camps To: "KC"@aol.com To: Kim and Dave C. At: [email address deleted] Dear Kim, I'm sorry to get your note. We must have made a bad first impression. Fourpeaks vacation places are fun and private, but the amenities are anything but standard, especially at the camps, and we have to personally show each accommodation to be sure guests are comfortable-- and safe. Since the places are spread out over 2-1/2 miles on two separate parcels, this takes time and planning. We explain how we manage this in our Guest Information at http://4peaks.com/foshort.htm Five guests were expected on the day you arrived and Louise and I had a busy afternoon ahead of us. You had arranged your arrival for between 1PM and 2PM, but you arrived well after 4PM without phoning ahead. I was on my way out the door to jeep some folks up to the Ridge and had time only just to show you to the The Cabin and ask you to let yourselves in. Louise came by later to show you the gas lighting, water, fireplace and kitchen. I am truly sorry you thought I was inhospitable when I just didn't have time to greet you properly. I wish you had spoken to me about this sooner, as I'm sure that we could have gotten over the initial unpleasantness. Vacations are or should be a time for general good feelings and I'm glad you enjoyed your stay at The Cabin anyway. Please accept our apologies. Consider another visit. We'll extend a 50% discount and go way out of our way to make you feel comfortable and at home. Sincerely yours, Martin Schwalbaum Member Whiteface Mountain Visitors Bureau Member North Country Chamber of Commerce 518-563-1000

CLICK HERE for more Fourpeaks Email Exchanges. Verbatim email exchanges with guests and prospective guests. Many of them informative. All of them good clean fun, even those about very serious subjects. Great if you like to read other people's mail.

Are you in this picture? CLICK HERE to find out.

Are you in this picture? Fourpeaks hosts now welcome paying guests to a 700-acre rest and playground for vacations in the Adirondack Great Camp tradition. Couples appreciate Fourpeaks secluded settings. Adventure families have fun exploring our accessible wilderness. Folks with dogs enjoy the open spaces to run their pets. A private nature retreat, a place for restoring personal energies. Are you in this picture? CLICK HERE to find out! [More about this at Frequently Asked Questions.]

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