BackcountryLiving!
Dear Guest: The cabins at Fourpeaks are spread out on a 700-acre property, 2-1/2 miles end to end. To maintain a safe, orderly, and clean place to live, the good will and cooperation of our guests are essential.
This webpage will provide you a working familiarity with backcountry life and
methods for heating, lighting and water use. Living off-the-grid is fun and educational. Insure your personal safety and comfort by learning how it works.
CLICK & GO!
(On this page.)
Gas lighting. Heating with wood.
Building a wood fire.
Maintaining a fire.
Closing down a fire.
Water safety. Don't drink the water!
No campfires.
No hunting or firearms.
Permission by owner.
(From my mailbag.)
"the process of making the reservation was problematic."
Is it dangerous to operate the wood stove . . .
I'm disappointed to find it's not permitted to have a campfire outdoors.
& More Guest Information.
CLICK & GO!
(On the grouped page.)
Fourpeaks Guests have Housekeeping responsibilities.
About deposit payments and cancellation fees.
Limited occupancy.
If you bring your pet. Guest Information for Dogs.
No Smoking.
How to Get to Your Rental. and What to do when you get There.
About arranging your arrival time.
Something wrong? Get help right away!
Emergency Information.
(From my mailbag.)
"Very unhappy with the degree of hospitality we received."
(On the next page.) 10 Best Guest Information Pages. (Quick Index.)
GAS LIGHTING. Cooking gas is a safe and convenient energy source which is used here not just for cooking, but also for refrigeration, heating (at two of the camps) and lighting. 
Lighting the gas lamps is easy. (1) Light a match. (2) Push in valve lever. (CLICK HERE to see note about pushing in.) (2) Turn the valve lever 1/4 turn (90 deg.) counterclockwise.
(3) At the same time, hold a lighted match near but not touching the mantle (which is extremely fragile). The gas-air mixture will ignite, burning along the margins of the mantle, creating light. (About the equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent bulb.)
More about gas lighting. Take care in applying the lighted match. Too close and you may touch the mantle which will break. Turn off the gas if that happens. To turn off, turn lever valve 1/4 turn (90 deg.) in a clockwise direction. 
CAUTION! Gas lights and cooking stoves are not safe devices. They should not be operated unattended. If the gas supply were to be momentarily interrupted, or the gas regulator should fail, or the flame were to blow out, raw gas would be admitted into the air creating a poisonous and extremely dangerous explosive mixture. Do not operate gas lights or gas cooking stoves unless you are present and awake. (Gas heating appliances and refrigerators are all equipped with safety valves which turn off the gas if the flame is accidentally extinguished. They are safe to be operated unattended.)Portable lanterns are not permitted. This includes propane, gas(oline), and kerosene "Coleman" lanterns. There are (disabled) kerosene lamp fixtures at many of our camps. Just for decoration. Very pretty. Please do not touch. Kerosene lamps are dangerous. They require expert attention and are unpredictable even then. Coleman fuel (gasoline) is explosive.PROPANE/GAS EMERGENCY INFORMATION. Cooking gas is stored outside in steel cylinders in liquid form (propane), vaporized through pressure regulators and distributed in the camp buildings through copper lines. Guests must learn the location of gas shut-off valves and the method for shutting off gas in the event of an accidental discharge (gas leak). 
HEATING WITH WOOD.Building a Backcountry Living wood fire.1) Make sure flue is open. Check by burning a balled up piece of paper. Do not start a woodfire unless the smoke from the burning paper vents properly up the flue. 2) Ball up a supply of newspaper and place well split kindling (one inch or less in diamerter) on top. Light with match. 3) Do not use kerosene or other (petroleum-based) fire starting material, including commercially available "fire logs," fire starters, etc. Burn progress with these is erratic. They can superheat and torch out of control. Use only newspaper and wood kindling supplied. Need more kindling? Split with axe from end grain. Axe supplied only for making kindling (very light use). 4) Add additional kindling until a base of hot coals has developed and the chimney is well heated (200 deg.F. on woodstove thermometer.) Maintaining the fire.1) After a base of hot coals has developed, add firewood sparingly, starting with smallest pieces. Fourpeaks supplies hardwood (maple, oak, birch and some lesser varieties, cut 14-18 in. long and well split 3-6 in. diameter). Do not use other fuel. 2) Wood fires start slowly but build up heat and a flow of combustible gases as the burning progresses. There is serious danger if more than a moderate amount of fuel is added at one time. 3) Add fuel sparingly only after the fire has begun to die down. 4) Add more fuel from time to time as needed. Closing down the fire.Do not leave a fireplace or woodstove fire unattended after adding new fuel. It is ok to leave a woodfire unattended if the fire is clearly burning down. Allow the fire to burn out. Do not extinguish coals with water. [CLICK HERE for emergency instructions if fire gets out of countrol.] Types of wood heaters.Three types of wood heating devices are in use at Fourpeaks. Open fireplaces, freestanding fireplaces (parlor stoves or Franklin stove) and airtight woodstoves. Open fireplaces and parlor stoves (with doors open) supply air to the burning fuel at low velocity and are therefore safer and easier to control than airtight woodstoves. Airtight woodstove operation takes considerable skill and great care must be taken with fuel and air supply. The restricted air opening can result in a high velocity air supply (tuyere effect) sharply increasing the temperature of burn. Not experienced with airtight stove operation? Keep the woodstove door entirely open and make a small fire. The woodstove will work like a small fireplace, but the mass of iron will radiate lots of heat. WOOD FIRE EMERGENCY INFORMATION (You won't ever need the information in this section if you have added fuel correctly and with caution. Not sure? Re-Read Building a wood fire and Maintaining a wood fire (above). Become familiar with location of ABC fire extinguishers in your accommodation. Examine safety pin release and actuating lever. Use if necessary.If fire is burning too hot (over 500deg. F. on parlor stove/woodstove flue):FLUE FIRE (Roaring sound inside chimney): Use ABC fire extinguisher (not water) and direct flow of contents onto flames and up into the chimney.
FIRE RINGS, campfires, bonfires or other wood fires out of doors are not permitted.Outdoor charcoal grills are supplied at each accommodation. WATER SAFETY.
FIREARMS. Guests are not permitted to hunt or carry firearms on the property. CLICK HERE for hunting on NY State lands that adjoin Fourpeaks at Ridge Camp. PERMISSION BY OWNER. The owner reserves the right at his sole discretion to refuse occupancy if guests do not show a reasonable familiarity with the safety information and operation procedures on these pages and there is a consequent serious risk of personal injury or property loss. "the process of making the reservation was problematic." Michael V. P**** Lucy B. P*****, Ph.D. Country Commons Vergennes, Vermont 05491 Dear Martin, You are doing something really wonderful with 4Peaks. We were very pleased with our experience this past weekend. The amazing weather helped as well. I realize that you were away, but it reached nearly 70 degrees on Saturday. The cabin was more than we expected with its lovely little decorations and everything a person (Michael, in our case) might need to prepare meals. It was cozy and we enjoyed playing Scrabble by the gaslights in the evening. I was impressed by how clean it was. We took walks each day. The placement of picnic tables and benches around the property was enjoyable. We had our lunch on Saturday at one of those located at the rocky outlook. The trails were clearly marked, which we appreciated. We saw tracks of turkeys, deer, fisher, snowshoe hares, grouse and lots of small creatures. We heard owls, pileated woodpeckers and ravens. It was especially nice not to have human interactions once we were there. After being greeted with jam and flour, we were left alone. That was not only wonderful, but exactly what we were looking for! After returning, we went back to the website and noticed that there appear to be very few reservations for the summer. We wondered why. Is it too buggy? Fall looked full. Are the guests primarily hunters or hikers? If we have any suggestions about what to do differently, they would be: 1) the map could be much clearer -it was hard to read; and 2) the process of making the reservation was problematic.Attempting to set up the reservation the first time (two weeks earlier) fell through. We'd called at the appointed time in the evening and left a message that was never returned. We 'were all packed and ready to go and never heard from you. That was disappointing. Fortunately we were very motivated to check out 4Peaks, so we tried again. This time there was a misunderstanding about whether the e-mail registration needed to be done. Michael understood that we were registered by phone and then got the message that we hadn't done things right. That was awkward. We're intelligent and have never had those kinds of problems in making reservations elsewhere. Perhaps it was a timing issue. We will probably think of returning to 4Peaks. We hiked up to see Wolf's Nest which you so highly recommended. It was wonderful and very private. Our vehicles (Saab 900 and Saab 9-5 wagon) would not be able to make it up that drive. We would happily pack our stuff in. The only question was water for washing dishes, etc. How is that handled? We also wondered if Sugar Camp would have a private feel. All the camps that we saw looked great. We liked the idea of the water systems that probably get used in the summer with solar heating potential and gravity feed. The outside shower looks like great fun. We saw that you are a Peugeot aficionado. We are as well, having had three of them. Our 1989 wagon was just given to our youngest daughter in January. Michael worked for the bicycle division of peugeot when they were here in the states. We've enclosed a check for payment. We thought that someone would come by for it, but didn't feel comfortable just leaving it on the table in the open cabin. We stopped at the Stone House on Sunday morning when we were leaving, but no one was there. I hope you had an enjoyable trip to California. Thank you for having us as guests at 4Peaks. Sincerely, Mick and Lucy P*** 
A footnote from Your Fourpeaks Host.Some vacationers must feel making a reservation here at Fourpeaks slows them down a bit. They're used to booking hotels that do it in a minute with a credit card and a confirmation number. We're sorry about that and if we were renting cabins by the side of the road, we'd do the same. But our Adirondack Backcountry Camps don't have standard amenities. Pretty and secluded, with great views and open space all around, beautifully decorated and very comfortable, the style of living is like folks lived a hundred years ago. Not for everybody! We have to be sure our guests will be happy and safe with heating with wood, gas and water safety and using a privy (outhouse). So we ask them to carefully read our Safety First! information before we'll make a reservation. Then we give them a short quiz just to be sure. For most of our guests it's fun and educational. They quickly forget the little extra trouble in making a reservation when they experience the quiet and natural beauty at our Adirondack getaway.  More about them. (Keep reading.)"We saw tracks of wild turkey, snowshoe hare, deer and coyote. We saw and heard ravens and heard owls at night." Subject: Guestbook Entry Date : 4/8/2002 Name : Mick and Lucy P*** Email : l****@sover.net Location : Vergennes, Vermont U.S.A. Comments : We had a wonderful and very private time at 4Peaks. The weather was amazing for March. We were able to sit outside in shirt sleeves on the porch and take an outdoor shower. I loved the accommodation itself. It was tasteful, very clean and well-cared for. The grounds were spectacular. We saw tracks of wild turkey, snowshoe hare, deer and coyote. We saw and heard ravens and heard owls at night. We even had a picnic on top of one of the peaks. My only suggestion for change would be to improve the map. It was difficult to read.
"Is it dangerous to operate the wood stove . . ." (An Email Exchange.)Subject: wood stove operation Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 09:50:16 EST From: Just*******@***.com To: Martin@4peaks.com Hello, Is it dangerous to operate the wood stove with an open front door (to enjoy the fire)? I am concerned about carbon monoxide accumulation in the hut. Thanks for your information. Best regards, Justin
Subject:
Re: wood stove operationDate: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 11:02:01 -0500 From: Martin fourpeaks@whiteface.net Reply-To: VisitUs@4peaks.com Organization: Fourpeaks--Adirondack Backcountry Camps To: Just*****@***.com Justin-- Easier and less fuss to operate the woodstove with doors open, like a fireplace. Ben Franklin thought of the idea, and I reccommend it. No need to fiddle with draft controls. Your concerns about carbon monoxide accumulation and other dangers to personal safety are particularly well placed if you're staying in a hut. Best wishes, Martin I'm disappointed to find it's not permitted to have a campfire outdoors. Subject: RE: planning our next summer vacation From: Christian P*** Date: 1/3/2012 5:59 PM To: "'Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)'" Hi Martin, I received and read your response yesterday night. I'm disappoint to find is not permit to having firecamp outside with or without outside fireplace. Definitively, if it is possible to find a place where it's possible to having firecamp in USA or in Canada this would be a primary criteria. Let me know if our policy may call to be change in the future.... Thanks a lot ! Subject: I'm disappointed to find it's not permitted to have a campfire outdoors. From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)" Date: 1/4/2012 3:00 PM To: Christian P*** Christian-- Good news! Yes. You can now enjoy a campfire outdoors at your Fourpeaks cabin rental. While ordinary campfires, bonfires, pitfires or other open fires are strictly prohibited by the New York State Department of Environmental Forest Safety Commission (NYDEC reg#FP435sec5) it is permitted to have a fire outdoors in a properly constructed outdoor fireplace that is designed to prevent combustible material, sparks, etc from escaping. We have several attractive outdoor fireplaces available for your rental. See photo at http://4peaks.com/foshort2.htm#dis 
Service fee. For placing the outdoor fireplace at your cabin, and for cleaning
and removing the outdoor fireplace when you leave, there is a service fee of from $44 to $86, depending on your cabin location, length of stay and other factors. There is no charge for the firewood
and there is will be an ample supply of that for your campfire vacation.Just let me know you want an outdoor fireplace at your cabin and I will include the outdoor fireplace in a no-obligation email rental offer that will be well suited to the season, your experience, budget and vacation preferences. CLICK http://4peaks.com/finquiry.htm to tell me all about it. Thanks. Best wishes, Martin (Your Adirondack Guide) .  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. Outdoor loving families have fun exploring our accessible wilderness. Folks with dogs enjoy the open spaces to run their pets. A private nature rereat. For a vacation away from it all. Are you in this picture? CLICK HERE to find out! [More about this at Frequently Asked Questions.]  Inquire about a Fourpeaks Adirondack Vacation/Getaway. (Easy Inquiry Form.)
 (Easy Email form.)
 Tollfree or  Cell phone contact any time.
 
Keep up with us through occasional newsletters. CLICK for sample."Hints of Balsam and Pine from our Corner of the Adirondacks" Join our mailing list! (Easy form.) 
Please Rate Our Fourpeaks Website.
Whether you're an experienced webmaster or just a novice surfer, you may have feedback or suggestions to help us improve. We well remember the visitor who complained about the unpleasant glare from the HTML default royal blue links. That lead us to entirely revamp our background and link colors, making them softer, more eye pleasing. And the Florida expert who warned us about frustrating visitors with blind links. We followed his advice and now carefully identify links so visitors know before they "click" exactly where they're clicking to. Your comments or suggestions will be equally appreciated. NOTE: If you got here via one of our many subsidiary information pages, CLICK HERE to get the best view-- from our concise "Home Page." Thanks. [CLICK HERE for easy email form to make your feedback/suggestions.] |
What's New!
A NOTE ABOUT "PUSHING IN." All 
in order to engage the valve, before turning the gas on or off. The cooking stove knobs are robust and most everybody knows about them. The gas lamp valve levers are light duty and must be engaged with care.