Owl's Head is named after the Abenaki Indian's greatest chief, Owl, whose spirit will live forever through the naming of the mountain in his honor. Similar in some ways to Sutton, the Eastern Townships resort is something of a charming throwback. The ski area has the feeling of an old-time ski club, with it's simple, wooden base lodge and lack of intrusive slopeside development.

Inside the base lodge, regulars take their places on long wooden benches lining the walls to change their boots and exchange pleasantries. There's a small ski shop, a bar and a cafeteria that serves decent food in a most congenial atmosphere. The slopeside auberge and condo-hotel are unintrusive, the former being integrated into the base lodge building, and the latter well situated off the beaten path. It's all very low-key, and punctuated by a welcoming friendliness.

The minute you get off the lift, any lift, you'll be awestruck by the fabulous views from the top of this hump of a mountain that rises above a rather flat section of the region. Lake Memphremagog is below the base, and you often feel as if you'll ski right off the edge of the mountain into the lake (don't worry, not in a scary sort of way!). No kidding: The magnificent views are comparable to skiing in the Tahoe region of California.

This is a lovely little mountain that's perfect for families and groups that want gentle skiing and nicely groomed trails. However, it is small and most will not want to ski here for an entire week unless you have young children.

Owl's Head Ski Resort Facts:

Summit elevation: 2,450 feet
Vertical drop: 1,772 feet
Base elevation: 510 feet

Expert: +
Advanced: +
Intermediate: +++
Beginner: +++
First-timer: +++

Address: Box 35, 40 chemin du Mont Owl's Head, Mansonville, QC JOE 1XO
Area code: 450
Ski area phone: 292-3342
Snow report: 292-5592
Reservations:
(800) 363-3342
Fax: 292-3067
E-mail: info@owlshead.com
Internet: ww.owlshead.com

Number of lifts: 8—3 high-speed quads, 1 quad, 4 doubles
Skiable acreage: 120 acres
Snowmaking: 90 percent
Uphill capacity: 14,400 per hour
Parks & pipes: 1 park, 1 pipe
Bed base: 100 slopeside
Nearest lodging: Slopeside, ski-in/ski-out
Resort child care: Limited
Adult ticket, per day: C$37 (06/07, with tax)

Eastern Townships Region Facts:

Eastern Townships Tourism Association
Address: 20, rue Don-Bosco Sud, Sherbrooke (Québec) J1L 1W4
Email: info@atrce.com
Internet:
www.easterntownships.org
Phones: (819) 820-2020; (800) 355-5755
Fax: (819) 566-4445

Quebec Tourism
Address: P.O. Box 979, Montréal, (Québec) H3C 2W3
Email: info@tourisme.gouv.qc.ca
Internet: www.bonjourquebec.com
Phones: Canada and US,
(877) 266-5687;
France, 0-800-90-77-77;
Belgium, 0-800-78-532
Fax: (514) 864-3838

For Region
Bed base: About 10,000 (4,189 rooms in ski region)
Dining: ++++
Après-ski/nightlife: +++
Other activities: +++