{"id":849,"date":"2025-12-02T14:01:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.missioncommons.com\/?p=849"},"modified":"2025-12-08T09:55:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T09:55:49","slug":"mountain-review-owls-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.missioncommons.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/02\/mountain-review-owls-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountain Review: Owl\u2019s Head"},"content":{"rendered":"
MOUNTAIN SCORE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n #14 East Coast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n 56<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n #93 Overall<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n See our criteria<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Snow:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Resiliency:<\/strong><\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Size:<\/strong><\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Terrain Diversity:<\/strong><\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Challenge:<\/strong><\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Lifts:<\/strong><\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Crowd Flow:<\/strong><\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Facilities:<\/strong><\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Navigation:<\/strong><\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mountain Aesthetic:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1-Day Ticket: <\/strong>$73-$89 CAD ($52-$64 USD)<\/p>\n Pass Affiliation: <\/strong>Indy<\/p>\n On-site Lodging: <\/strong>Yes<\/p>\n Apr\u00e8s-ski:<\/strong> Limited<\/p>\n Nearest Cities: <\/strong>Montr\u00e9al (1.5 hrs)<\/p>\n Recommended Ability Level:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Excellent scenic views of Lake Memphremagog<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Non-existent crowds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Simple layout served almost entirely by high-speed lifts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Small size<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Lack of facilities beyond base lodge<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Lower snow totals than nearby resorts in Northern Vermont<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Skiable Footprint: <\/strong>163<\/a>\u00a0acres<\/p>\n Total Footprint: <\/strong>315<\/a> acres<\/p>\n Lift-Serviced Terrain: <\/strong>100%<\/p>\n Top Elevation: <\/strong>2,342 ft<\/p>\n Vertical Drop: <\/strong>1,558 ft<\/p>\n Lifts:<\/strong> 6<\/p>\n Trails: <\/strong>50<\/p>\n Beginner: <\/strong>25%<\/p>\n Intermediate:<\/strong> 35%<\/p>\n Advanced\/Expert: <\/strong>40%<\/p>\n For many skiers and riders, spending time outside cruising through beautiful snow-covered landscapes is what makes the sport truly unique, and few resorts can match the stunning natural vistas of Owl\u2019s Head. <\/p>\n Located in Southern Quebec, just north of the Vermont border and in direct view of Jay Peak, the resort may deserve to be on your radar if you\u2019re looking for an East Coast hidden gem. But the resort does have a number of drawbacks that may not make it a fit for everyone.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The summit of Owl\u2019s Head provides views of both the stunning Lake Memphremagog and other nearby ski areas.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Overlooking Lake Memphremagog, Owl\u2019s Head has one of the most spectacular views anywhere on the East Coast. Almost all runs overlook this stunning vista, with the mountain\u2019s prominence allowing for upper mountain views spanning for miles and even lower mountain runs offering beautiful landscapes across the lake. A few lower mountain areas see a degree of development, but despite a small acreage, plenty of runs offer a pleasant sense of isolation. From the summit, a few other resorts are visible, including nearby Jay Peak and the backside of Mont Sutton. If for no other reason, Owl\u2019s Head belongs on any East Coast skier\u2019s bucket list for the stunning views alone.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Owl\u2019s Head is much taller than it is wide.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Advertising 163 skiable acres stretched up a 1,558-foot vertical drop, Owl\u2019s Head is a small resort that skis bigger than it is, thanks to a strong vertical for its size and a pronounced footprint standing tall above the surrounding geography.<\/p>\n With two high-speed chairs serving the majority of the terrain in Owl\u2019s Head\u2019s two major terrain pods, runs often feel comparable in length and sustained pitch to those of far larger East Coast resorts by acreage. That said, after skiing here for a day or two, most advanced visitors will feel as though they\u2019ve explored the whole mountain, and for visitors of certain levels and terrain preferences, you\u2019re likely to be often lapping the same terrain.<\/p>\n Green terrain at Owls Head is exclusively contained to the lower mountain off Chairs B and D, as well as the magic carpet. That said, being on the lower mountain doesn\u2019t make the views any less spectacular. In fact, the beginner-oriented Chair D offers some of the most spectacular lake views in the entire resort, although such views are abundant everywhere. This beginner terrain is wide open and perfect for newer or less athletic skiers, although it’s worth noting that some of these trails are taken up by terrain parks not seen on the map. Some of these routes, such as the #18 Panorama trail, are wide open to allow for beginner access despite the terrain park setup off to one side; however, these park setups are worth looking out for when planning your route down as a beginner.<\/p>\n Ultimately, if you don\u2019t mind the lack of upper-mountain access, Owl\u2019s Head is a very good place to learn to ski, particularly due to its low crowds, low cost, and ease of access to beginner terrain.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Upward Trail, #25, provides one of the best lake views of any blue run at Owl\u2019s Head.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Getting to intermediate proficiency at Owl\u2019s Head opens up essentially the whole mountain. The biggest positive is the wide, open, massive pistes available from every lift, combined with the truly spectacular views along these trails. Guests should be sure to check out the #14 Lilly\u2019s Leap trail, which arguably has the best views of the whole resort, as well as the best sense of isolation. For some, this trail alone will make the experience at Owl\u2019s Head worth the day trip. <\/strong>Another standout blue is the #25 Upward Trail, which offers the closest lake views of any blue trail and sees even fewer crowds than the already fairly-empty upper-mountain runs. Grooming, particularly off Chair A serving the majority of intermediate terrain, can be sparse particularly on powder days, but other times, the resort\u2019s blues are perennially groomed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Single black terrain at Owl\u2019s Head varies in difficulty depending on its grooming status. Some trails, such as #9 Kamikazee and #26 Lake View, are ideal single black semi-groomed trails for advanced skiers. However, others are left ungroomed when conditions allow, making for an experience sometimes more comparable to double-black trails at other East Coast resorts. These trails are topographically unique and very fun for skiers up to the challenge.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Owl\u2019s head does offer a variety of narrow, untamed trails for advanced and expert skiers and riders.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Similar to its advanced level terrain, Double Blacks at Owl\u2019s Head vary greatly in difficulty based on snow conditions and grooming status. The main challenge of the trails at Owl\u2019s Head lies in their coverage and technicality, rather than merely the steepness. Often, the steepest trails may not always present the most challenging experience at the resort.<\/p>\n Owl\u2019s Head’s steepest pitches are also its most widely cut, and even sometimes see grooming. On the other hand, the resort\u2019s moderately-less-steep double-black woods trails often feature fairly technical lines and, even on good snow years, regularly see exposed rocks, roots, and dirt. Expert terrain at Owl\u2019s Head is overall present enough to keep experts entertained, and the mountain\u2019s open, natural feature-filled footprint is very fun to jib around for experts, but it falls somewhat short in challenge compared to most Northern Vermont resorts, as well as to its nearby Quebec neighbor Mont Sutton, in terms of the prevalence, quality, and reliability of expert terrain.<\/p>\n For a resort in southern Quebec, terrain parks at Owl\u2019s Head are surprisingly abundant and built up, despite not all being depicted on the trail map. A few quite substantial terrain parks exist in the lower mountain, although these park setups focus almost exclusively on medium to large features, with very few progression-oriented zones\u2014and in our experience, the low slope angle often conflicts with the size of these builds.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Owl\u2019s Head builds some surprisingly large terrain park features, to the point where getting enough speed to hit them is difficult.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.<\/strong><\/p>\n Salomon QST 92<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended all-mountain ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n V\u00f6lkl Kendo 88<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended carving ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Faction Prodigy 2<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended glade ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Black Diamond Helio 95<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended expert\/touring ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n With only 125 inches of average annual snowfall, Owl\u2019s Head falls well short of the snow totals of its Vermont competitors, seeing totals far more similar to resorts in New Hampshire, although comparable to those of other southern Quebec hills. In particular, Owl\u2019s Head\u2019s snowfall falls dramatically short of its nearby neighbor Jay Peak, which regularly sees more than double the annual snowfall of Owl\u2019s Head.\u00a0<\/p>\n To account for its modest snowfall totals, Owl\u2019s Head\u2019s natural snow is supplemented by one of the most expensive snowmaking operations in southern Quebec, covering the vast majority of non-gladed runs across the resort. Even if there hasn\u2019t been natural snow in a while, as long as temperatures stay cold the trails will stay covered.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Most cut runs at Owl\u2019s Head feature snowmaking infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The majority of chairs most visitors will use regularly at Owl\u2019s Head are high-speed and efficient, particularly Chairs A and D, which serve the vast majority of lappable terrain. While fixed grip, Chair B is short and mostly serves the terrain parks, and Chair C is mostly just used for racing; all of the terrain served by both is also accessible by the high-speed Chair A.\u00a0<\/p>\n The experience most hurt by Owl\u2019s Head\u2019s fixed-grip chairs is arguably the beginner experience. A slow ride up Chair B isn\u2019t the most pleasant start to the day for those looking to lap green-rated trails and unable to take the blues off Chair A, although once you arrive at Chair D, it\u2019s smooth sailing up a high-speed chair until it\u2019s time to return to the base lodge.<\/p>\n With the exception of the terrain park and handful of short green trails off Chair B, the only terrain primarily served by a slow, fixed-grip chair is the intermediate and advanced terrain off of Chair E. The views from this lift are tremendous, and the slow chair helps this terrain feel isolated and preserve fantastic snow on a powder day, but despite these caveats, it’s still a frustratingly slow ride to the top. Guests can technically access this terrain from the summit by riding Chair A or the bottom half of many of these runs by taking Chair D, but doing this often feels like more of a hassle than it\u2019s worth. Long-time industry observers may point out that Chair E actually replaced an older high-speed quad several years back, resulting in a rare occurrence where there\u2019s now a slower ride time than used to exist there\u2014although it is worth noting that the old high-speed lift was both longer than the current chair and built with a different and slower design than today\u2019s detachables, so the decrease in ride time wasn\u2019t as significant as one might expect.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Most of Owl\u2019s Head can be explored via the two high-speed lifts.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While slightly busier than some more locally oriented resorts in southern Quebec, Owl\u2019s Head still enjoys the extremely low crowds typical of a Quebec resort. Even on powder days, it’s commonplace for most or all lifts at Owl\u2019s Head to be ski-on or close to it, particularly with the high uphill capacity of the primary high-speed lifts.<\/p>\n Chiefly by nature of its small size, getting around Owl\u2019s Head is quite straightforward. Signage is abundant and the resort’s vertical layout makes it very easy to get between lifts, with most terrain filtering back down to the same main base and all other terrain easily filtering down to Chair D. The only major difficulty can be in finding the entrances to certain woods pitches using the trail map, although these entrances are well marked when you do find them. However, it is not advisable to ski through most unmarked woods at Owl\u2019s Head, as they frequently cliff out or become too dense to ski.<\/p>\n NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.<\/strong><\/p>\n K2 Raygun Pop<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended intermediate board<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended advanced board<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n WRITTEN REVIEW
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\n MOUNTAIN STATS
\n <\/a><\/p>\nCATEGORY BREAKDOWN\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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GOOD TO KNOW<\/h3>\n
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MOUNTAIN STATS<\/h3>\n
\nMountain Review<\/h2>\n

Mountain Aesthetic<\/h3>\n

Size and Terrain Layout<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Beginner Terrain<\/h3>\n

Intermediate Terrain<\/h3>\n
TRAIL MAP<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nAdvanced Terrain<\/h3>\n

Expert Terrain<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Terrain Parks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR OWL\u2019S HEAD<\/h3>\n
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Snow Quality and Resiliency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lifts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Crowd Flow<\/h3>\n
Navigation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR OWL\u2019S HEAD<\/h3>\n
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