Sam Degenhardt, founder
and CEO of Campfire Ranch,
Welcome on the business free.
Thanks Ryan, stoked to be here,
great to have you Sam Campfire Ranch is
kicking off the 2021 season on May 10th,
likely just in time for potentially
a mad rush by just about everyone.
For the mountains your calling card is
making camping easier and more accessible.
And if there's anything we love in Colorado,
it's the outdoors. Sam,
can you tell us more about Campfire Ranch?
How things are going
now? Yeah, thanks Ryan,
we you know we're campground.
At the at the simple end of it.
But we do things a little differently.
We offer top quality rental gear
right on site at the campground,
so if you're a beginner or first time
or someone who hasn't been out as much,
you can come camp and we have an
adventure concierge service so we can
help connect you with Outfitters and
guides and experiences right here in
the Gunnison Crested Butte Valley.
We have our first location open will be,
as you mentioned, opening May 10th
and it'll be an awesome season.
We're already starting to
see the snow melts out here.
The wild Flowers are poking through.
The trails will be open an.
Yeah, it's going to be a busy summer.
We're
ready. How's the demand
looking right now? Yeah,
you know. Last year was interesting
with with COVID-19 there was a trend
that camping was getting more popular,
but I think we saw five years happen in
about 1 and it was a really busy summer.
We're expecting the same this year.
We're getting lots of calls and inquiries
and we can't wait to have people come out.
But we only we only booked 14 days
in advance so we kind of Revel
in the last minute planner.
So if you're thinking about Camping
a week away, give us a call.
We're usually available. I
think that's definitely unique as well.
It's definitely a different approach.
And I think a lot of people hopefully
will be happy about the fact that the
whole summer won't be booked out.
They just gotta be on top of
things to get their reservation.
And so now you've launched the business
and your first campsite in the Crested
Butte Area magazine Lee Beautiful area.
So this question may seem I
don't know redundant, but Sam,
why this particular area?
And what can campers expect
from you in the year ahead?
Yeah, I mean, as you mentioned,
Gunnison Crested Butte is quite all time.
It's a special place to me.
I went to school here at Western Colorado
University and as a small college
town it's a great place to call home.
But for folks who are traveling or maybe
haven't been out to to the gun ECB Valley,
it really is a recreational Mecca.
85% public lands just about every
recreational opportunity you can
you can find and then on top of that
we've got great cultural things like
the town of Crested Butte and the
more ranching community of Gunnison.
There's a lot to do here.
And folks really seem to want that
authentic Colorado experience.
And, you know,
we tried to give that to him
going into this season.
Customers can expect the same level of
service we delivered in our first year.
You know the the best camping
amenities like free unlimited firewood,
flexible booking policy's like top
Notch rental gear from our partners,
Yeti Camp Chef in The North Face.
We can't wait to help people out,
and we also have a few new
partners joining this year.
Like New Belgium brewing Bobo's bars,
you know,
some Colorado companies that were trying
to help connect our customers with.
And just create a better camping experience.
Well, I think that your niece of the
world is exciting because so many of us,
especially those who live in the Metro
area for instance, want to get outdoors.
Want to enjoy what Colorado has to offer?
And so I think what you're doing Sam is
right up their alley right up our alley.
So let's segue though into challenges
in opportunities in front of you.
This is your second year.
As you mentioned Sam, the first came
during the height of the pandemic,
and now we're slowly starting
to come out of it.
How have you managed the different
challenges of both being affectively
startup and the pandemic and
what lessons have you learned?
Yeah,
you know where unique company like
like you said, a bit of a start up
a bit of a camping business and you
know the COVID-19 thing was it was
really interesting for us 'cause it
came on with a lot of uncertainty.
You know, I'm sure you've heard
and talked about things around
travel and tourism in a lot of
places being completely halted.
But when it comes to
Colorado and local travel,
we saw a huge amount of people looking to
experience the outdoors for the first time.
An with a business model
that is there to provide.
The support systems for new campers
or even experienced campers.
We were really busy just
about the moment we opened.
We ended up selling out
every weekend of our summer.
Most weeknights an kind of had a banner
year and we're expecting the same,
maybe even a little crazier this season.
Outside of COVID-19,
you know,
as a startup you just have to be flexible.
I think I've learned that in my career
that anything can change at any moment,
and you gotta look at it as an
opportunity and not a challenge.
And we were successful with
that last season and will keep
that same mentality this year.
After this in here,
Sam yet makes the Campfire Ranch
experience different. Yeah, so the
biggest thing you'll notice is
that we're going to feel more like
friends to you when you get a camp.
Then you know a business that you're
paying will see you at the campsites.
Were there checking in with you to
make sure you're having the best time.
We have all the local Intel on where to go,
what to do and how to behave like a local
in respect of the landscape in our backyard.
And so when you're camping there.
We've had a lot of local lot of folks
tell us that they leave feeling like
they requested you or Gunnison local.
I mean, I think that inclusive
inclusive perspective that we
provide gives people you know,
Peace of Mind and it's just
a different camping feel you
really want to come check it out. Yeah,
I went into now personal twist here Sam,
your belief system with camper arranging
yourself envisions a country where young
Americans immersed in the outdoors.
Find solutions to environmental and
social challenges that threaten.
Our future, where do these
values come from and how do they
shape you as a business owner?
Yeah, I mean I've grown up
camping my whole life Ryan.
And really, for me it was like the
starting outlet to the outdoors.
It's a place where I was away.
I was able to connect with the
outdoors without having all of the
equipment and all the guy ran as such.
I'm sure you can imagine I've
fallen in love with the outdoors
and natural places and to me not
everybody has that opportunity.
You know, I think I think my
parents for that for those
access opportunities as a kid.
But if I can help bring that to
other people and convince people
that the outdoors is a great place
and they can fall in love with it.
Well, when they become,
these places become threatened.
You better believe will try and protect it,
and for me,
that's really the mentality that
comes behind our our mission.
Sam Degenhardt of campfire range.
Thanks for joining us on the business brief,
which you and your entire business,
and as importantly all of your future
campers, the very best thanks Ryan. Will
see you guys this summer.