A charming 'Camping Cabin' in the forest on 23+ acres overlooking a 1 1/2 acre lake. The property is shared with a Sioux Tipi [The tipi is not visible from the cabin].There are bass and sunnies in the lake, the fishing is good. There is a Kevlar canoe, paddles and life jackets. -------------------------- The space ........... This is a charming 'Camping Cabin' in the woods on more than 20 acres of woodlands overlooking a 1 and 1/2 acre lake. [Some would call it a pond, but it is 10 feet deep, and has a thermocline year around, so by definition, it is a lake - more on that below] Before booking, please read all the information below. -------------------------------------------------- ........YOU DON'T NEED A CAR to come to this wonderful 23 acre paradise! From New York City, there is a bus to Saugerties New York. The bus stop is 5 miles from the property, so the taxi fare is modest. Search for “Stagecoach Taxi” and you’ll find the phone number. If you prefer, you can take the train to Rhinecliff, New York, but the taxi will cost more, as that is 20 miles. .........There is a small deli / market within walking distance – 1 mile. The market on Tuesdays offers Pakistani dinners that we recommend. Some days they prepare Mango Lassi, highly recommended! ------------------------------- .............There is a queen size mattress in the sleeping loft, and the bench on the first floor has a 6 inch thick foam seat that is the size of a single bed – 80 inches by 27 inches. For 3 adults, the cabin is too small. We recommend no more than 2 adults and one child. .............This 23 acre property is shared by a Sioux Tipi,. The forested parcel is large, so you can't see the Sioux tipi from the cabin. The tipi will occasionally have guests. Guests at the tipi will have access to the cabin well. The floating dock and canoe is shared with them. They have their own paddles, so they don’t need to disturb you to use the canoe. As the crow flies, the tipi is about 200 feet distant, but not visible from the cabin]. Near the tipi is the "Tipi Room" It has a flush toilet and sink and outdoor shower. {In cold weather, from some time in October till mid-April, the water system in the Tipi Room must be drained so the pipes don't freeze] When the water in the Tipi Room is off, there is a porta-potty there instead. In the Tipi Room are kept extra supplies, such as, propane tanks for Coleman stove, paddles for canoe, etc. The door should be left unlocked, but if it is locked by mistake, the key is in lockbox hanging next to the door, combo is 2-5-0-0. There is a spare key to it hanging on a nail in the left support post of the platform in front of the Tipi Room door. .............The Cabin is insulated and has heat. There is a sleeping loft with a queen size mattress accessed by a ladder. Chloe's Cabin is 8 feet by 10 feet, and 13 feet high, plus a covered porch. The cabin does not have running water inside. The cabin has its own water well [see below]. The cabin is not connected to the electric grid - that's what 'camping cabin' refers to. We have installed a small solar electric system. This provides 12 V DC to operate a single lamp and to run the water pump. In the Tipi Room there is 115-volt AC electricity, one can charge electronic devices there. We have a lightweight 2 person Kevlar canoe for your use. Chloe's Lake has lots of fish - bass and sunnies. The forest has lots of wildlife, deer, fox, bear, wild turkeys, owls, etc. A beaver family has their lodge at the edge of the lake [please don't disturb it] For cooking there is a 2 burner Coleman camp stove, and outside, a fire place with a grill. It is an idyllic getaway for those who appreciate nature. ............About the area: the village of Saugerties is about 3 miles away, a sweet village with numerous antique shops. Woodstock Village is 8 miles from the property. The equestrian 'HITS' is nearby. This is at the edge of the Catskill Mountains, with fishing, hiking, tubing, and other outdoor activities nearby. In the summer months the lake has watermeal, tiny pinhead size leaves that float on the surface. When it's breezy, the lake surface is clear of it, when it's totally calm the leaves spread out on the lake. When cold weather comes, they're gone. For this reason, our favorite times there are October through June. The cold weather makes the water clear, lake-like, in summer, it looks more like a pond. ............For the past 34 years, this has been one of our favorite retreats. We began sharing the cabin several years ago. After we retired, owning a $700,000. property just to camp a few weekends a year became extravagant. To make it possible to share it, we ask guests to bring their own sleeping bags and towels [sheets and pillowcases would be okay, it's a queen mattress and there are quilts there], and that they “leave it as they found it.” This has worked well, it seems that guests who are interested in this type of retreat are most always respectful of the property and of the next guest. To date more than 95% of the hundreds guests have left the cabin in good shape and clean. Every month or so we check out the cabin to restock supplies and fix deficiencies, if any. We have at the cabin plates, glasses, utensils, toilet paper, candles, a Coleman 2 burner propane stove for cooking, and fuel for it. We stopped leaving paper towels, since the mice always make a mess with them. As it is camping, we suggest you bring a flashlight, matches, and newspaper or fire starting fluid for lighting the campfire, etc. - what you would for any camping trip. In front of the cabin there's a fire place with a grill. We supply firewood. If the firewood at the cabin rums out, there is a supply next to the Sioux tipi. You may want to split it to size for campfires, as the firewood split thinner burns more easily – there is a “Kindling Cracker” at the cabin. [Photo attached] IN DRY SEASON BE SURE NO COMBUSTIBLES ARE NEAR THE FIRE PIT WHEN YOU MAKE A FIRE, AND DON'T LEAVE AN UNATTENDED FIRE. If there is a drought, sometimes outdoor fines are banned. If we become aware of a fire ban, we will let you know. ------------------------------------------------------ A note on cleanliness: In reviews and feedback, most guests love the location and enjoy their stay. However, we get demerits too often on cleanliness. It is important to us to have guests enjoy their stay, which is why we’re taking time to address this in detail. As we don’t live near the cabin, it is not workable for us to do housekeeping between each guest. We rely on guests to leave it clean and tidy, dishes and utensils washed, and to take their trash and put it into the bear-proof container that is at the beginning of the road into the property. While more than 90% of the time, that works fine, but sometimes there is a disrespectful guest. You should know this is a possibility. So there are two options. The first is, if it has not been left clean to your satisfaction, make it right and we will be happy to reimburse you for your time. The second is, don’t take a chance – book some other property. Even though we give full disclosure, some guests give us demerits for lack of cleanliness. .------------------------------------------------------- Update: A guest who posted a review of our Sioux Tipi in Woodstock, New York introduced us to a word we didn’t know. [That was about 10 years ago]. Although they were referring to the Sioux Tipi, the comments apply equally to this cabin. To quote them: “Wow. All I can say is that this is THE place for anyone wanting the complete Woodstock experience. . . I really enjoyed the privacy and getting to enjoy the scene without distractions. The tipi isn't the most glamorous experience, but it's glamping to the highest compliment. . . Highly, highly recommended for city folk who want to get in touch with their inner Paul Bunyans.” Looking up “glamping,” we found this definition: 'Going camping, but with glamour. A combination of the two words. It's like regular camping , but with nicer things than usual, being warmer, and more comfortable. . . Satisfying your craving for the outdoors and your penchant for a good meal, nice glass of wine, and a comfortable bed.' Now “glamorous camping” sounds like an oxymoron, but I suppose it’s possible, e. g: “Oh Heathcliffe dear, I'm ever so glad we are glamping this weekend. By the way, is the butler done catching our trout?” I post this here, although the review was for the Sioux tipi, as glamping seems an appropriate adjective for a few of our off the grid properties. Glamping has become popular, helped in no small part by the Glamping Hub website. ..........Following are notes sent to us by guests who spent a week at the cabin in 2014, with information about getting to the cabin if you don't have a car, and about the well: “ For anyone without a car, the bus from NYC to Saugerties is excellent, the Saugerties Stagecoach taxi was only $12 to the cabin. [It’s surely more than that now] We brought enough food for 7 days in our backpacks, no problem. [Host’s note: If you don't bring all the food you need with you, there's a market one mile away that's shown on the topo map we send] - We drunk the well water - it was perfect. . . . -------------------------------------------------------- ............A guest sent us a photo of a nice bass caught in the lake, which we have posted on the website.. ............A recent inquiry asked some questions and we copy them and our reply below: 1) Is it safe there? (I mean, are there any strangers and / or any dangerous animals around?) 2) Is the lake swimmable? 3) How far is the lake from the cabin? ...........Answers: It is safe around here. No dangerous animals. We have seen bears a few times on the property, but they are not dangerous. Lots of wildlife, we have seen over the years wild turkey, great blue heron, geese, green heron, ducks, foxes, deer; there is a resident beaver family, the lake has sunnies and bass. It is advisable not to leave food or anything outside that would attract bears. In addition to fishing in the lake, we often see people fishing in the nearby reservoir from the bridge [see the topo map for location]. For fishing off the property you'd need a license. Licenses can be purchased online cheaply for 1 day. The cabin is about 75 feet from the lake, on a little hill overlooking it. ............Is it swimmable? The “swimmabiliy” varies with the time of year. For us, it is swimmable, whenever the water is warm enough. We often use flotation devices [little inner tubes or rafts one can buy for a few dollars]. In the fall through spring, up until some time in June or so, it is clear and "lake-like." Sometime starting in June, watermeal grows. Watermeal is a plant like a tiny pinhead size leaf. It floats on the surface of the water. When there’s a breeze, it blows to the edge of the lake and the surface is clear of it. If there is no wind, it spreads over the lake and it's more pond like - some people wouldn't choose to swim in it, we do. The lake maintains a thermocline all summer, that is, the surface water gets warm, the deeper water, a foot or more below the surface, stays cool. Having a thermocline is one of the differences that distinguish a lake from a pond. If a body of water is not deep enough, it cannot keep the thermocline. The photo of the lake on the website was taken in June, when there was no watermeal on it. ...........While we email a map to each guest after booking and suggest they print it out, nevertheless we receive an occasional frantic call or text from an arriving guest saying they don’t have the map to find the cabin. So just in case, here are directions from the entrance at 375 Hommelville Road in Saugerties: Wood road goes straight in for 1000 feet, then takes a sharp left turn. Almost immediately after the turn, the road forks. The right fork leads to the Sioux Tipi. To the cabin, take the left fork. 50 feet beyond the first fork is a second fork, take the right fork to the cabin. The lake is to your right, the solar panels and well are to the left, and the cabin is about 60 feet up a slight hill to the left. .............Note: After you book, we need to send you an email with attachments. That includes maps, directions, and where appropriate, key information. Without this information, you may have problems finding the property. If you don't receive the email within 24 hours, check your spam folder first, then let us know. .. Thank you. Directions for pumping water: At the well head, there is a "pump house," It's perhaps 2 feet square. Inside there is an off/on switch. There's a floating dock to make access for swimming and canoeing easier, and a small wooden ladder that makes getting in and out of the water easier. The cabin and the tipi are the only retreats on the 23 acre property ------------------------------ Other things to note If supplies run short, there are extras in a spares cabinet in back of the cabin and in the Tipi Room. A guest has suggested we caution that getting into the sleeping loft requires climbing a ladder, and, if one is not physically fit, old, or overweight, it could be a problem. I am 80 years old and for me, it's still easy. Given this is a safety issue, please err on the side of caution -- if in doubt, please do not book this cabin. We request anyone much over 200 pounds not book the cabin because of the loft ladder. ----------------------------------------- Although we have addressed this above, since we have received a couple of negative reviews this year that dinged our reputation, we are repeating it here: We don't live near the cabin, so we rely on our guests to leave the cabin clean and swept and the dishes washed and stored. Once a month we go to do housekeeping, mop the floor, dust the shelves, etc. This works well 90+% of the time over the last several years - but not always. If we couldn't do this, it would not be practical to share our cabin. So that's the situation. If it happens that the previous guest had not honored the agreement, we ask that you take care of it, and, should it take you more than 10 or 15 minutes to deal with it, send us a bill and we will make it right. If you don't wish to clean up, wash your dishes and cooking utensils and leave everything neat and tidy for the next guest before you leave, please don't plan a stay at the cabin. Guest access The well and the floating dock and shared with guests who stay in the tipi on the other side of the lake. The cabin and the tipi are the only retreats on the 23 acre property. Other things to note Note: If cooking oil, propane for the Coleman stove, or other essentials run out, there are extra supplies in spares cabinet on the outside back wall of the cabin and also in the Tipi Room.