Question:

Can I camp at your resort this summer?

Mountain 1, Maine

First Contact: Young male, nice enough sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Umm, yeah, I don't think we do any camping here, but I can put you through to general reservations if you'd like?

SAM: Would I need a reservation? I'd just like to come up and hike a bit and camp a night or two...that's not possible?

Staff: Ummm, yeaah. It's private property so we can't let you camp.

SAM: Hmm, all right. Thanks anyway.

Staff: Umm, yeah, thanks for calling I guess.

Rating: 2

Comment: Ummm, yeah, I guess. Thanks for all the other options you offered.

Mountain 2, Vermont

First Contact: Woman, nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: No. We don't have camping. (Silence)

SAM: Okay, so you don't offer it as a summer activity, but isn't your mountain on National Forest land?

Staff: Yes it is, but you would have to go all the way to the top.

SAM: The top? So I can camp at the top of your mountain?

Staff: Right.

SAM: Can I hike through your trails to get there?

Staff: No. (Silence)

SAM: Oookay. But if I hike along the boundaries to the top then it's okay since it's not private land?

Staff: Right.

SAM: So I can camp at the top of your mountain, but I can't hike through it to get there?

Staff: Right.

SAM:: Righty-O then, thanks.

Rating: 4

Comment: Interesting. But I least I get to camp!

Mountain 3, Maine

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.

Answering phone: Male, super patient sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Ummm, not that I'm aware of. I think the closest camping is up along the X trail. I haven't heard about camping on the mountain just because we have various mountain biking courses on our trails and it would become very busy and probably dangerous if people were camping near those.

SAM: Good point, but aren't you on National Forest land, so technically isn't it still public property? I wouldn't camp anywhere near the mountain biking trails, of course.

Staff: Umm, I'm not sure what the regulations are right on the slopes. If you don't mind holding for just one minute I can find out what exactly our rules are.

SAM: Sure.

Hold time: 1:30

Staff: Thank you for holding. Sorry it took me so long, but I did find out. Basically, you are not allowed to camp on the ski area's property because we actually rent the area from the National Forest so there is no easement on it. You can camp along the X trail, however, like I mentioned. That runs up our summit so it's more or less the same area.

SAM: Okay that works. So I can still park in your parking lot? Do you mind?

Staff: Ha ha, not at all. That's fine.

SAM: Thanks for your help.

Rating: 8

Comment: Patient, courteous and took the time to ask someone else.

Mountain 4, New Hampshire

First Contact: Woman, short sounding. Needed come coffee.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: No. (Silence)

SAM: Okay. Aren't you on National Forest land though?

Staff: Not on our hill. There's a certain section near our mountain that is on National Forest land but you would have to call them.

SAM: I thought your mountain was part of the X National Forest?

Staff: Well, like I said, not on our mountain specifically. Maybe some of our cross-country trails are on National Forest, but not where you ski.

SAM: Hmm, okay. So I can't camp then anywhere on your mountain?

Staff: No you can't. They will come and get you.

SAM: Ha ha, good to know.

Staff: Yeah, I mean we don't even have snow machine trails on National Forest land and I know if you did try and camp without a permit that they'll come and find you. Just a warning so you now know.

SAM: Yeah, thanks.

Staff: I would just call the National Forest service and ask them where the best place is to camp around here and they'll be able to help you.

SAM: Maybe I will do that. Thanks.

Rating: 4

Comment: It's feeling a little cold up north today.

Mountain 5, Vermont

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose customer service.

Answering phone: "Good afternoon this is Shelly!" Shelly sounded pumped to be working. Exactly what I like to hear!

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Umm, hold on let me ask.

SAM: Thanks.

Staff: So yeah, we don't have any rules that say you can't! And you know the X trial goes across the top of our mountain and the X lodge is up there that's open all summer. People come and go through that all the time. They camp inside during the rain or just along the trail if it's nice. We just don't have a lot of flat space around.

SAM: Awesome. Flat space isn't an issue. I just wanted to do some hiking around your mountain and wanted to make sure I could camp.

Staff: Definitely, come on up!

SAM: Great, thanks. Not everywhere allows so I wanted to be sure.

Staff: Of course. It's funny, there are a lot of places that don't allow hiking either. The only rule we have is no mountain biking, just because we're not set up for that.

SAM: No worries. Thanks for all your help.

Staff: Anytime, hope to see you soon! Have a great day.

Rating: 9

Comment: Big points for enthusiasm and attitude.

Mountain 6, Minnesota

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose "attendant."

Answering phone: Very chirpy female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Camping is not allowed, no, sorry. There are specific state parks around where you can camp, but not at the mountain. The parks are beautiful though!

SAM: Okay. I thought since your mountain was on National Forest land that I would be able to camp?

Staff: Umm, I'm not aware of any camping and/or if we're on National Forest land. As far as I know we lease the land from the National Forest, which means we have our own rules. (So you do know that you're on national forest land?) But we have lots of hiking and biking on our mountain so that you can definitely do! It's so much fun!

SAM: Sounds good. So I can camp around your mountain just not on it and I can definitely hike.

Staff: Yup! Yooou got it!

SAM: Fantastic! Thanks!!

Rating: 7

Comment: Average info, but you can't discredit an attitude like that.

Mountain 7, Michigan

First Contact: Female, nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Um, unfortunately, we don't allow camping here during the summer. We do have cabins and yurts available though, which are a pretty cool option.

SAM: Yeah that is a good option. How much do those run for?

Staff: The cabins are $XX per night and sleep four and then we have trail-side yurts which are $XX a night and sleep 10. We take reservations all summer long as well.

SAM: Great. So there's no tent-camping allowed whatsoever?

Staff: No, unfortunately, we aren't zoned for camping, we don't have any tent-camping permits. There are some amazing nearby tent camping sites though. You can go into X park or Y trails and really explore a lot.

SAM: Sounds good, thanks for all the info. The cabins and yurts seem like a fun time.

Staff: The are for sure, thanks for calling.

Rating: 8

Comment: Good info with multiple options.

Mountain 8, Indiana

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.

Answering phone: Female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Ummm, I don't think so. Umm, hold on just a minute. No, I'm sorry, we don't allow it, no.

SAM: Okay. Do you know why not?

Staff: Ummm, we just, umm, don't--hold on just a minute I'm going to transfer you.

Answering phone: Female, very nice sounding.

SAM: Restated question.

Staff: You know, we don't have campsites set up at our mountain so it's not necessarily a summer activity we offer.

SAM: I was wondering because I was thinking of hiking around your mountain and thought it would be fun to camp a night or two as well. It would just be me and a friend.

Staff: You know I'll tell you, the hiking here would be minimal because we're a very small area. But what I can do is send you to X National Forest, which is nearby and has a ton of trailheads with a variety of hiking and camping options. Just Google X National Forest and their website will come right up. If you need to call anyone you can call the Y office in Willford and they'll be able to provide you with everything from trail maps to suggested hikes to different camping locations. It should all be on the web as well.

SAM: Oh, okay. That sounds like a great option. Thanks for all your help.

Staff: Anytime, hope you have a great time camping!

Rating: 9

Comment: Good deflection with a load of helpful information.

Mountain 9, California

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.

Answering phone: Female, very nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Ummm, we don't really have camping set-ups here. It's not something we really offer but, ummm, you know there are places I see nearby where people pull over on the side of the road and just go from there. They do it all the time. Even at the trailhead for the X trail. There's no overnight parking signs there, sooo

SAM: Yeah that's true, I could go there. I was just wondering if I wanted to do some hiking on your mountain could I camp near the base or on the hill?

Staff: Ahhh, not, no, not really. It's kind of closed-off private. We need to have our security people going around and they'll probably say something to you if they see you. But right before our entrance, before the gate, there's a turn off on the right where I see lots of people parking overnight. You just go down that little dirt road and park. From there you can easily access all of our terrain for hiking. And our security people don't really patrol that area. So you wouldn't get caught.

SAM: Awesome. But if I was on your area camping they would ask me to leave?

Staff: Ahh, probably, yeah. We just have other events going on throughout the summer and some vacationers coming in and out so security might not like campers hanging out.

SAM: No worries, thanks for the extra info.

Staff: Oh, no problem, sorry I can't let you camp on our hill!

Rating: 8

Comment: High five on the sketchy loop-holes.

Mountain 10, Colorado

First Contact: Male, nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: That's a good question. I don't believe you're allowed to since it's Forest Service land and not our own property. We actually lease the land from the Forest Service in the winter, but not in the summer so I don't actually know. Let me transfer to you our mountain manager's office who can give more of a definitive answer.

Answering phone: Female, nice enough sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: What do you mean? I don't get it.

SAM: Um, camping, like with a tent. I wanted to do some hiking around your area and was wondering if I can camp there as well.

Staff: No, nooo. Not at the base certainly. Hold on, okay? You know it's mostly private land so we don't usually have that happen up there. There are some campsites up along the pass though that people frequently use for camping.

SAM: Hmm, okay. I thought your mountain was on Forest Service land though? Doesn't that make it public for camping?

Staff: Yeah, well most of it is private land on our mountain. But you know, there's also camping off of X sister mountain that you might be interested in. I can transfer you down there if you'd like?

SAM: Sure, thanks.

Answering phone: Female, very nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Hmm, we ah, that's a good question. There are probably going to be designated camping sites allowed this summer but they haven't been confirmed them with the Forest Service, yet. But we will be offering them and should know where they'll be soon. What's your name and number and I'll go find out now and give you a call back with all the information on camping we offer? Does that work for you?

SAM: Definitely, thanks so much.

Gave number 15 minutes later she called back and explained when and where the camp sites will be and how the process works.

Rating: 8

Comment: Slow start, but the final girl nailed it with the follow-up.

Mountain 11, Colorado

First Contact: Male, super nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Ummm, ya know you, you ah could, I think it's National Forest land, but I just know ahh, yeah, yeah I believe you can. Sorry, I've just never been asked that question before so I had to think about it for a second. (Clearly.)

SAM: No worries. That's what I figured, too. Since you're on National Forest land then technically it's public land where I could camp right?

Staff: Yeah as long as we're actually building a new chairlift this summer. So in the event that you wanted to camp in an area where we're building something or are doing any work, we might ask you to not camp right there.

SAM: I agree. I'd rather not camp underneath a chairlift installation.

Staff: Ha ha, yeah totally! So were you looking to just camp just wherever or did you want to camp on some snow patches, or? (Who wants to camp on a snowpatch?)

SAM: Wherever. I wanted to hike around you area and thought it would be fun to camp as well for a night or two. Nothing major.

Staff: Well, yeah, I mean as long as you weren't in the way of any trail maintenance or construction, obviously for sure, come on by.

SAM: Great, thanks. I'll let someone know when I come up.

Rating: 9

Comment: He was patient and personable. Cheers to that.

Mountain 12, Utah

First Contact: Young male.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Umm, you know, I actually don't know about that. Let me connect you over to mountain operations.

Transferred

Answering phone: Female, nice, but really tired sounding. Who's got her coffee?!

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Um, you know, I don't know the answer to that. I think the answer is no, but let me find out. Can I call you back in a few minutes?

SAM: Sure thing.

Two minutes later she calls back.

Staff: So it's not in our use permit actually and since we're in a watershed for the whole valley we can't let you camp on our mountain. There are some other really amazing sites though right down the road. There's X and Y camping and a lot of friends I have go there pretty frequently.

SAM: Okay. So even though you're on Forest Service land I can't camp because you're part of the watershed?

Staff: Yeah I mean, that's technically the answer. It's hard, we don't really get this question very often. I can dig a little deeper for you if you want, but the problem is that because we're a watershed and all of that snow and runoff is used for drinking water in the valley, where would you go to the bathroom while camping? (Touché.)

SAM: Great point, I totally agree. Wel,l maybe I'll just check out those other campsites then. Thanks for calling me back!

Staff:: Anytime, thanks for calling. Sorry I couldn't be any more helpful.

Wait for it she calls back 20 minutes later!

Staff: Hey this is XX again from XX. I did some more investigating since the answer I gave you was still a little vague. And actually, yes, you can camp on our property! There are no rules against it! With it being a watershed you have to be at least 200 feet away from any water source. That's the exact rule with any activity like camping in a watershed.

SAM: Awesome! Should I let someone know when I come up to camp?

Staff: I don't think it matters. I'm standing next to the director of guest activities so let me ask them, hold on...Nope, you don't need to tell anyone.

SAM: Sounds great, thank you so much for calling me back again. I look forward to camping up there!

Staff: Sounds good, we still have a bunch of snow so maybe give it a month or two. Have fun!

Rating: 10

Comment: Customer service that voluntarily calls you back, twice that's definitely a 10.

Identity Revealed: Snowbird

Mountain 13, Idaho

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose general info.

Answering phone: Female, nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Um, camping is pretty much. Like what do you mean?

SAM: Well, I wanted to do some hiking on your mountain this summer and then hopefully camp as well.

Staff: Well, you can camp anywhere that's on Forest Service land, but private property is frowned upon.

SAM: Okay, that's cool. Do you know which parts are private property and which are Forest Service?

Staff: Well, the base area is owned privately, so not that area. Where did you have in mind?

SAM: Maybe along some of the trails or the summit.

Staff: Umm, hmm, hold on one second please. I'll find out. (Holding) I'm going to connect you to general manager's telephone because he likes to authorize these kinds of things. I don't think he's in at the moment but just leave your name and number on his machine and he'll call you back.

Left a message. And the manager called me back.

SAM: Restated question.

Staff: Wel,l it depends. If you're looking for camping in our campsites that are on our property than, yes, that's one thing. You can definitely camp there, of course. If you're looking to camp on the Forest Service property that's another thing. How long were you hoping to camp for?

SAM: Probably just a night or two with a friend. Nothing major. I wanted to hike on your mountain and then hopefully camp along the trails maybe. Is that part of Forest Service land?

Staff: Well, we're under a lease with the Forest Service throughout the winter, so technically you could camp there. When were you planning to come?

SAM: In July, I think.

Staff: Well, we also run mountain biking during the summer on the weekends and most of the week. And to have campers hiking along mountain biking trails and then setting up a camp would be dangerous. It's not something we recommend.

SAM: Yeah that's probably not the best idea. I'll look into your campsites. How much is it to camp there?

Staff: Well, those are actually free to use if you participate in any of our other mountain activities like biking or hiking for example.

SAM: Okay, awesome. Well than I'll just check those out then. Thanks!

Staff: You're welcome. We hope to see you soon.

Rating: 9

Comment: Call back from the GM with a great explanation.

Mountain 14, Quebec

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.

Answering phone: Young male, very nice.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Yeah sure, of course.

SAM: Oh, okay great. Do I need to let anyone know or can I just hike and camp along the trails?

Staff: Yeah, yeah, if you want, you can do this. We are a camping place, too. If you want you can take the trail to the top of the mountain and there's a place there for your, ah, tent, yeah. Many people do it.

SAM: Perfect, thanks so much.

Staff: You're welcome. Thanks for calling.

Rating: 8

Comment: The farther north you go the less rules they have.

Mountain 15, Ontario

First Contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.

Answering phone: Female, very nice sounding.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Can you camp? Ah, yes. We have family camping-is that what you're looking for or was it something else?

SAM: Well, I was looking to hike a little bit and then camp along the trails or at the top. It would just be me a friend.

Staff: Um, yeah, I think we would allow that. We offer family sleepovers, but I've never been asked about just two people. I don't see why not though, hold on, let me check. (Holding) Um, so like, yeah, we can allow you to camp here. Just let us know when you get here so we're aware that you're here and camping out at the area.

SAM: Sweet, thanks so much.

Rating: 8

Comment: Patient, super friendly and doubled checked to make sure.

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