THOREAU HOUSE (Built 2003)
 At Hamilton Field, a 19th C. farmsite ringed by pines with views of Wainwright and Jay, it's a creative copy (exact for size) of Henry David Thoreau's cabin at Walden Pond, built 1845. CLICK & GO! (On this page.) An historic wood's retreat . . . For living in today Amenities Summary. About Backcountry Living (for Guests). About access to Thoreau House. Meet Our Guests at Thoreau House. (What they had to say about it: Photos, Letters, Guest Book Entries.) The Thoreau House Story--How it go that way. Building Thoreau House. Thoreau's Cabin at Walden Pond Guest Notes: "So close to its natural state that you can imagine yourself as a pioneer just discovering the area." "What you have done with Thoreu's Cabin has inspired me." " . . . do you have anything with electric and running water inside?" (On the next page.) 10 Best Guest Information Pages. (Quick Index.) 
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Water is pumped up from the ancient stone well under the building. Privy. (For location see Fourpeaks Trail Map. Thoreau is 800 feet down Stonehouse Road from Gypsy Camp label [GC]. Also see Thoreau House "5, Hamilton Field, Thoreau House" on the Stonehouse Road Map.
And CLICK HERE for the kind of secluded living offered at Thoreau House.One building, two rooms and loft, Non-smoking, Pets welcome, just 230 sq.ft. plus loft, max. 2 persons. Single or double occupancy, $425/3 nights, $850/week. CLICK HERE for a seasonal offer, promptly delivered. 11% Sales/Occupancy Tax applies to all rentals of less than one week duration. A Deposit Payment is required to secure reservation. Cancellation fees apply. See Guest Information for occupancy limitations and financial arrangements. Discount Prices.
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"Thoreau House" Amenities SummaryBedrooms/beds: One double bed (3/4 size, 48 in.). Blankets and pillows supplied. [CLICK HERE for Frequently Asked Questions about what to bring, including linens and towels.] Full Kitchen. Apartment size cooking range (stovetop only, oven not operative August '10), 4 cubic foot refrigerator. Dining service for 4 persons and a complete selection of utensils, dishes, silverware, pots and pans, including a toaster, a tea pot and 3 kinds of coffee makers. 
Toilet: Outside Privy (outhouse). [ CLICK HERE to learn about the privies (outhouses) at Fourpeaks Backcountry Camps.] Water/washing: The electric pump by the kitchen sink delivers water right from the antique well at camp. [CLICK HERE for all about limited water at Fourpeaks Backcountry Camps, especially in Winter. CLICK HERE for fun bathing ideas.]Lighting: Electric lighting. Electricity for reading lamp, floor lamp, supplemental heat. Fireplace/heating: Vermont Castings fireplace propane (gas) heater in The Study. Supplemental electric radiator heater in The Woodshed (kitchen). Outdoors: Adirondack chairs, picnic table, hammock and charcoal barbeque grill in pine grove close by. Optional portable screen house. Additional fee. CLICK HERE for photo, room plan. Miscellaneous: Dish soap, hand soap, sponge/pot scrubber, Comet cleaner, firewood, dish towels, toilet paper, trash bags, matches, candles, biscuit mix, honey, salt, pepper, sugar, etc. are all supplied. [ Planning your visit? CLICK HERE for more helpful information on setting up housekeeping.] 
   4-Star Wilderness Camping. Enjoy the quiet and beauty of untrammeled Nature in considerable comfort with no equipment and no experience required. View the Graphic Amenities Summary for heating, lighting, kitchens, water supply, screened porch or deck, and more. Get help deciding which Fourpeaks Cabin is right for you.
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The Fourpeaks Story begins on a ski weekend at Whiteface with my first wife in '67. I can't remember if the kids were there or not. With a busy new business in the city, I was looking for a "wilderness" place, lots of trees and space, to get away to whenever I wanted. I had in mind cheap land, lots of it, not suitable for building development. I started asking around at the realtors, focusing on the lower priced offerings. Breakfast at the Golden Arrow across from the old hotel, I spotted an old lady at the cash register, looked just like my Bubba, a greyhead Zeide nearby. The old couple pointed the way to Wilmington. A few days later Dan Deighan, the land-savvy real estate man from Placid, was driving me up Stonehouse Road in a four-wheeler through a foot of snow. I wrote about it in a poem, "Camp." CLICK HERE for the full story about The Cabin, my first camp. For the other camps, CLICK on one of the image links above. CLICK HERE to hear The Whole Fourpeaks Story--1967 to Today, 7 camps, 3 barns, 1 Stone House, 700 acres and 40 years later. 
Backcountry Living (for Guests).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. If you're considering a Fourpeaks vacation rental, CLICK HERE for Backcountry Living (for Guests).  Access to our Backcountry Camps. There's year-round auto access to The Cabin, Sugar Camp, New Camp, Gypsy Camp and Thoreau House, but there's no "front desk" at Fourpeaks. so you need to find out how to get to your rental. CLICK HERE for How to Get to Your Rental.and What to do When you get There.During the Summer season guests at our two remote camps, Wolf's Nest and Ridge Camp, meet us at our Camp Barn Office. There, we take their food and gear and jeep it up to camp. And we take it back down when they leave. There's no need for them to pack it themselves. In Winter, early Spring, and at other times when road conditions are unfavorable, guests at Wolf's Nest and Ridge Camp must carry their stuff on their own (Wolf's Nest, 5/8 mile or Ridge Camp 1-1/2 miles). Firewood plus propane for lighting and cooking are already in place at camp. Wash water is at the Well House at Ridge, but wash water must be carried up for Wolf. A full orientation to camp precedes the visit. Extra backpacks and a cargo sled are available for loan. No guest vehicles. Except for short access roads off Stonehouse Road (to Thoreau House, Gypsy Camp, Sugar Camp, New Camp and The Cabin), the use of guest vehicles on Fourpeaks roads and trails is strictly forbidden. [More about access at Frequently Asked Questions.] Meet Our Guests at the Fourpeaks Photo Guest Book! A fun way to learn about our Adirondack backcountry vacations. Who came. Where they're from. Where they stayed. The Season. What they did here.  Photos, Letters and Guest Book entries. CLICK HERE for our Photo Guest Book. Pet-friendly vacations.  Romantic getaways.  Families with Kids.
#1893 "So close to its natural state that you can imagine yourself as a pioneer just discovering the area." Subject: Guestbook Entry Date : 8/29/2004 Name : The Abrigo Family Email : queen****@aol.com Location : Staten Island, New York Comments : Dear Martin, You are a very lucky man. Fourpeaks is a unique place of great beauty that's been kept so close to its natural state that you can imagine yourself as a pioneer just discovering the area. One way you could determine if potential guests would appreciate the experience would be to have them stop at Lake George Village first and have a look around there. If they tell you they actually like the crowds and commercialism, then tell them to forget Fourpeaks. It takes a different mindset to go into the woods and spend the day picking up frogs instead of cruising the T-shirt shops in Lake George! As much as we loved Fourpeaks, though, we weren't enthusiastic about the outdoor privies! Chemical toilets are definitely the way to go (pun, ha-ha) and we would immensely appreciate this amenity on a future visit. We're contemplating a return visit with some friends to share a bigger place than Thoreau House. Ridge Camp was really attractive and I'll bet the fall foliage season there would take your breath away! Would you be willing to get a couple of chem toilets there for the fall season? Let me know and I'll see what's doable on everyone's schedule (possibly around Columbus Day.) Regards, The Abrigos  More about this. (Keep reading.)Subject: Thanks very much for your thoughtful Guest Book entry. Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 16:25:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)" To: queen*****@aol.com Hello Frances, Joselito and Valerie! Thanks very much for your thoughtful Guest Book entry. The comparison with Lake George Village (or for that matter) downtown Lake Placid is a good one. There are after all many (the majority of vacationers really) who don't value privacy and are even scared to be where there aren't A LOT OF PEEEPLE around. Asking them if they like LG or LP village is a good way to figure them out. I'll try and remember that. Quiet (no audible sounds except natural sounds like birds and insects and wind in the leaves and such) is really scary for most people. They're used to cars and planes and radio and TV and peeeple and even sirens. A guest who just came down from Ridge today commented about that. He couldn't hear any highway sounds at all or even airplanes. He says he's visited lots of "wilderness" or "backcountry" places where city sounds and sounds of motors still get in and spoil the quiet. Yes. You can have the use of a chemical toilet while at camp. I mentioned that in the "Thank you" letter that I sent to you following your visit (see copy below). It's part of several new upgrade offers in my "Luxury Camping" program. I don't want to be left behind with all the progress that's being made to put "NATURE WITHIN REACH" to anyone who wants to take a look at it, even for just a weekend. It's not so scary after all. You can read something about what is "Luxury camping" and where to find it in a magazine article from the Southwest Airlines In-flight magazine (Fourpeaks is mentioned). Just click http://4peaks.com/fluxury.htm Along with that "Luxury camping" page is an (almost finished page) "Luxury Camping at our Adirondack Backcountry Camps," including a list of new amenities available to Fourpeaks visitors, free phone service, running water, flush toilets, hot showers, outdoor screened dining (some with small fee) along with the already available complete kitchens, outdoor grills, table and hammock, scenic private hiking trails, and pet-friendly accommodations. Read about the new stuff at http://4peaks.com/foamen.htm still somewhat "under construction" but due to be finished soon. Thanks for thinking about coming back. You will have to remind me (my new inquiry form will provide for it) that you want the flush toilets for your visit. I'd love to have you back. Maybe I'LL MAKE YOU a meal to pay you back for your friendly hospitality while you were at Thoreau. The calendar http://4peaks.com/femail2u.htm shows Ridge is available for Sept 11 for 3 nights and Sept 17 for lots of time, but Labor Day weekend is already booked. Sorry. Please consider those alternate dates or maybe Sugar Camp for Sept 2. Hope to see you soon. (20% discount off posted rates apply for a second visit this year.) Sincerely, Martin #Ltr060306 "What you have done with Thoreu's Cabin has inspired me." Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 06:32:19 -0800 From: Lawrence (Larry) Henry lehenry***@msn.com To: martin@4peaks.com What you have done with Thoreu's Cabin has inspired me. I am 51, male and just divorced (Oh well...shit happens). I have a dream to return to Indiana where i came from (I am in Florida now), buy a small lot "in the country" and build Thoreus's cabin. Just a bit different. I'd double it with a dog-trot and extra cabin. Kitchen and livingroom in one, bedroom and bathroom in the other. Same size and dementions. Just reflective cabins. The dog-trot, roofed over would make a nice summer porch. Maybe someday i can come visit, or do work equity for a short stay. Due to my Ex i have a very limited budget at this time. Live in peace, bask in God's love. Larry Henry More about this. (Keep reading.)Subject: What you have done with Thoreu's Cabin has inspired me. Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 10:04:28 -0400 From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide) To: lehenry1***@msn.com Larry-- I apologize for not having replied to your welcome email about Thoreau House and your idea of building one (two). I simply put off writing until my story about Thoreau was done. Never did it. It has to do with breaking up and building a new place for myself. I WILL DO THE STORY someday SOON, and send you a link. Personally, I prefer to keep the house just as it is http://4peaks.com/fth.htm but (as I think you realize) it was too small for me to live in. I'm (half) seriously thinking of fixing the space problem by the addition of a small horse barn nearby. I actually have the remains of one near my Sugar Camp and I could move it. The scale would be perfect and it would appear functional--historically. More when I do the Thoreau Story. "Maybe someday i can come visit, or do work equity for a short stay." Yes. If you can make the time for a visit here I will do my best to work out something very low budget for you and possibly a work-stay arrangement. See http://4peaks.com/fgift.htm Best wishes, Martin (From a prospective honeymooner.) " . . . do you have anything with electric and running water inside?" Subject: Re: a honeymoon for next year Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 22:29:58 EDT From: FlREnlCE@aol.com To: martin@4peaks.com I am intrested in coming up to the adirondacks but I didn't like the absolute whole wilderness like the no bathroom and how we would shower and bathe for the week we are there do you have anything with electric and running water inside. If you do please let me know and send me some pictures. thanks alicia Subject: . . . anything with electric and running water inside? Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:49:50 -0400 (EDT) From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)" To: FlREnlCE@aol.com Alicia-- Yes. Thoreau House has just what your looking for! Real Adirondacks Wilderness with not so much wilderness in it as all that. See all the photos and full description at http://4peaks.com/fth.htm Plus, for not too much extra (just $16), you can have the convenience of an inside flush toilet. Phone for more. Ask about our HONEYMOON SPECIALS. Thanks. Your Adirondack Guide, Martin .  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.)
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