Following up on our earlier report, here’s Sam’s take on the popular throwback resort in Quebec…

I finally decided to make the long drive north to ski in Quebec at Owl’s Head. Prices were very reasonable at only $27 US for college students. Skies were clear, and it was a beautiful bluebird day, with temperatures in the 20s. The snowpack was still deep, but glades and natural trails had some exposed rocks after recent warm temperatures. The groomed trails were outstanding hardpack corduroy. Natural trails and glades had variable conditions, but were very skiable. Almost everything was open, and 3 lifts were running which accessed the entire mountain. It was a Monday, so there were no crowds to speak of.

Owl’s Head impressed me, and I can now rank it among my favorites. The mountain is divided into two main sections, with the main lodge at mid-mountain. From the lodge, you can either take a high-speed quad to the summit, or take a fixed-grip quad to get to the lower section. The lower section, which goes almost all the way down to lake level, is primarily served by a high-speed quad, called the Black Chair. It is mostly novice and intermediate cruisers, with some fun glades mixed in. This section is also where the Lake Lift (world’s first high-speed quad), and the Panorama Lift stand, but they no longer run. The upper section is primarily served by a high-speed quad, called the Summit Lift. From the summit, there are a variety of trails, including cruising runs, such as Lily’s Leap and Centennial, steep groomers, such as Kamikazee and Colorado, and extensive glades, such as Magog and Kandahar. The terrain is impressive, and the runs are long. No matter where you are on the mountain, the views of the lake will not disappoint. It is worth the little bit of extra driving time, and I highly recommend making the trip.