Guest House

Our guest house is located at 3666 Craftsbury Road in Greensboro, 4 miles north of the village of Greensboro and 2 miles north of the Highland Lodge. It is a 3-bedroom mid-century modern “ski house” on the Craftsbury Connector Trail between the Highland Lodge and the Craftsbury village. As a designated Tree Farm, we are committed to sustainably managing our forest and meadows for wood, water, wildlife and recreation. The property is located at the headwaters of the Black River Watershed which offers the benefit of a pristine pond and fresh spring water. We are also on a critical east-west migration path for wildlife. Guests enjoy expansive views of Mount Mansfield and Camel’s Hump, ski trails, and our crystal clear trout pond and swimming dock.

We named the property “Bayley-Hazen Farm” to celebrate the rich history at the property. The Bayley-Hazen Military Road reached Greensboro around 1779, as part of its construction between 1776 and 1779, ordered by George Washington for a planned invasion of Canada, though the project was abandoned in April 1779 by General Moses Hazen due to fears of the British using the road to attack south! The original road passed through our property and directly in front of the guest house, continued north through where the barn is now located and into the woods before circling back to cross Craftsbury Road again a few times on the way to Craftsbury. There is also a historic cellar hole on the property that was built right next to the historic road.

Features

The guest house, includes an equipped kitchen, three bedrooms, two shower rooms, a sauna, and two half-baths along with living areas, outdoor patio/deck, lawn and fire pit and surrounding grounds. The modern design has clean lines and abundant natural light and stunning west facing views.

  • High-Speed Wi-Fi
  • Wood stove (pre-approval required)
  • Sauna
  • Wood Fired Hot Tub
  • Apple TV
  • Outdoor Deck/Patio.
  • Fire Ring
  • Grill
  • Fly Fishing Pond
  • Swimming Pond (and near Caspian Lake)
  • Apple Trees
  • Hiking Trails / X-C Trails

Area Resources, Dining and Entertainment

We are located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the beautiful town of Greensboro.

  • Nordic Skiing: You get ski-in, ski-out access to the Greensboro-Craftsbury nordic ski trail connector (maintained by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center) right from the property.
  • Alpine Skiing: We are roughly equidistant from three of Vermont’s major ski mountains: Stowe, Burke, and Jay Peak.
  • Gravel Bicycling: We have terrific access to bicycling, including both quiet paved highways and miles of gravel roads.
  • Golf and Tennis. The Mountain View Country Club is nearby offering guest and visitor privileges.
  • Caspian Lake: Caspian Lake has a public beach for swimming and boating.
  • Sailing: We have a sunfish to rent and access to a private beach the lake can be arranged.
  • Craftsbury Village & “The Genny”: Just 3 miles away—The Genny (Craftsbury General Store) is the heart of the village and a great place for coffee or lunch.
  • The Willey’s Store: About 4 miles away. Willey’s is an historic country store for groceries and local goods.
  • The Highland Lodge is two miles south and has great food and amenities.
  • Hill Farmstead Brewery is about 4 miles away—widely known for fantastic beer.
  • The Blackbird Bistro is about 3 miles down the road in Craftsbury.
  • Parker Pie is about 25-30 minutes away in Glover and serves fantastic pizza and beer.
  • Cork and Fork and Positive Pie are both located about six miles south in Hardwick.
  • Highland Center for the Arts: We have a world class community arts center right in Greensboro.

Seasonal Highlights

  • Summer: Enjoy swims off the dock in our clear, private pond, access to Caspian Lake and great for road and gravel biking, with many scenic routes right from your doorstep, golf, tennis, sailing, and much more.
  • Fall: Witness beautiful fall foliage, scenic drives, apple picking , and exploring the quiet fall gravel roads. Trap shooting can be arranged and bird hunters enjoy grouse hunting.
  • Winter: Enjoy ski-in, ski-out access to the Greensboro-Craftsbury nordic ski trail connector directly from the guest house. We’re 4 miles from the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. For downhill adventures, our location is ideal: we are equidistant (about 25 miles) from three of Vermont’s major ski mountains: Stowe, Burke, and Jay Peak.
  • Spring: As the snow melts, enjoy excellent trout fishing opportunities in our stocked pond and nearby streams and rivers.Additional Logistics

Operational Notes

  • Entry/Key: The location of a key or access code will be shared with you separately. The carport entry door may require pulling it toward you while turning the key.
  • Heating: In cold weather, the house is heated with an oil-burning furnace. The main thermostat is located in the hallway outside the bathroom. Ignore the downstairs thermostat in the laundry room. Electric Heat (is back up only): Additional baseboard electric heat is available if needed. Please use electric heat sparingly and keep it turned off when not in use. The front room/living room can be a bit cooler than the back of the house as it is more exposed to the weather and further from the furnace.
  • Wood Stove: A Vermont Castings wood stove is available with a prior briefing. If approved for use, it provides cozy warmth on a cold day and can even overpower the living room with heat. It is vital that you fully understand how to use the stove properly for your safety and to prevent damage.
  • Security Cameras: There are security cameras that can be visibly disabled (unplugged) during your visit.
  • Compost: Compost is behind the shed. There is a small compost container on the kitchen counter.
  • Cleaning and Laundry: Please strip beds and leave towels on a rack.
  • Garbage & Recycling: Rubbish and recycling cans are in the shed outback. The Greensboro recycling program is located at the town hall on Saturday mornings from 9AM-11AM (and Wednesday afternoons in peak summer). We typically manage this for you unless your stay is extended.
  • Electric Outages. We do get outages – especially in higher wind events. There are gas and battery lamps in the closet. Keep your phones charged! If you get an outage, we do recommend contacting Hardwick Electric to report the outage sometimes (not usually) an outage might only be impacting our house, so it is worthwhile reporting the outage. (Call directly: 888.472.5201 and use the following number as the account number (802) 533-2351. They do offer a confirming call back when the outage is resolved, and you can leave your mobile number for that if you like.
  • Water System: We operate a well system in the warm months and a spring system in the colder winter months. When on the spring, water pressure fluctuates and as the pressure decreases, you may hear the water pump kick on to rebuild the pressure.
  • Snow Plowing: The driveways are plowed by a town service after about 6″ of snow. This is typically done later at night, so do not be surprised by the plow! You may want to leave cars in the carport or tucked in close to leave room for plowing. In high winds, we may get snow drifts that can impede passage on the driveway.
  • Sauna: The sauna is a luxury, but a wonderful way to relax. It is heated with electricity so use sparingly. Turn on both the timer outside the sauna and make sure the red light is on on the heater – it will trip on occasion and require you to press the red reset button. An ideal sauna is around 165-175 degrees for about 15 minutes, followed by a shower that goes from warm to a cold finish.
  • Hot Tub: The wood burning hot tub takes some pre-planning, but is a wonderful experience! It takes about 45 minutes to fill the tub with water and about 4 hours to warm it to the right temp. The thermometer should read 110-112 before it is ready, as mixing the water will bring it down to a perfect 104-105. If the tub needs to be filled with water, this can be done from the spring water hydrant located about 20 yards north of the tub. Obviously a hose will need to be used and hopefully the hose was left drained (and not frozen). Please drain the hose after use for the next person. Please do not leave water in the tub if not in use for a few days or if it the water gets below 45 degrees, it can cool and freeze causing damage to the tub.
  • Home Nuances – The back door (south) toward the shed can be tricky to fully close – a firm press will confirm closure. In windy days, the storm doors may be blown open violently causing damage. Open and close these carefully in high wind.

Wood Stove Procedures

If approved for use, below are the instructions and tips for operating the stove effectively:

  1. To start, open the damper (left side), the thermostat (back right) pointing to the back, and empty the the ashes tray (below the stove) if required.
  2. Use appropriate paper and kindling. To accelerate the initial burn, I often leave the ashes tray slightly open to rush in air. BE CAREFUL to close and lock the ashes tray when the fire is going to avoid over heating the stove.
  3. When the fire is burning, be sure the front doors of the stove are closed and locked (important!).
  4. Get and maintain the fire to above 400 and below 700 degrees (refer to thermometer on the top of stove).
  5. Close the damper when the temp is above 400 degrees – not before.
  6. Control the temperature with the thermostat This kicks in the secondary combustion for efficient heat.
  7. When running hot, the stove can over power the room if the temps outside are not very low. You can manage the amount of airflow using the thermostat on the right side – (pointing the lever backward is closing and cooling).