Conditions Report
Report for February 22, 2026
For the 2025-2026 season, two iconic resorts in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Mont Sutton and Owl’s Head, have joined the Indy Pass. About time. One of the reasons I moved from downtown Montreal to the South Shore a few years ago was for better access to resorts in the townships as well as Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, while also being within daily commuting distance of the city for work and school. In recent years I’ve snowboarded many places north of the US border, and south of the St. Lawrence. Each one distinct, etched in memory—but Mont Sutton is in a class of its own. I’ve even had the thought that I could settle here permanently, which is saying something for a travelling soul.
The Eastern Townships are one of Canada’s most spectacular four season travel destinations. A United Empire Loyalist settlement following the American Revolution, the region is bilingual, deeply artistic, diversely agricultural, and rooted. Sutton itself has one of the highest concentrations of artists in Canada, and draws visitors year round for its literary festival, vineyards, lavender and blueberry fields, microbreweries, biking, hiking, horseback riding, and breathtaking vistas.
Mont Sutton has been part of this landscape since 1960, when Réal Boulanger cut the first trails through the woods with a deliberate philosophy: keep the runs narrow, leave the trees, follow the mountain’s natural fall line. Considered the pioneer of glade skiing in Eastern Canada, Boulanger was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 2019. Although the resort changed hands in 2016 to a group of local investors, the mountain playground Boulanger built reflects exactly what he intended to this day.
That same year, a portion of the land was transferred to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, making Sutton part of the largest protected private land conservation area in Quebec. The wilderness stretches across the border into Vermont, permanently protected. In the past decade more than $12 million has been invested in the resort, and the mountain is breaking ground for an $8,000,000 SkyTrac fixed-grip quad chairlift with a loading conveyor, set to open for the 2026-27 season, representing the first SkyTrac installation in Canada. Other investments include RFID upgrades and an outdoor sculpture trail featuring the work of local artists. The mountain is moving forward while staying true to its essence.
Mont Sutton rewards creativity and exploration. Nearly half of the terrain here is classified as ‘sous-bois,’ glade skiing through mature hardwood forest. The resort grooms selectively, keeping less than a quarter of trails groomed on a regular day, and even less after fresh snow. The fresh snow lasts longer protected in the trees, and no two runs are quite the same. There are over 200 trail junctions to navigate. Fed in part by its proximity to Lake Champlain’s microclimate, Sutton averages over 150 inches of natural snow per year. I learned this the hard way when I first drove here in the 90s in a 1987 Hyundai hatchback and got stranded for a night. Have good tires.
My shred sister Véronique and I have been trying to carve out some time to head to Sutton, but we are both have busy urban family lives and full schedules. The stars aligned and the weather cooperated for us to head out early Sunday morning. I was out the door just after 7:00 a.m., picked up Véronique downtown, and we pulled into the P3 parking lot around 9:30 a.m. P3 is the lot to know: ski or ride straight to the lift and chalet, past the learning area, no detours.
But there was a hiccup. Sunday was an Indy Pass blackout date, and I hadn’t checked. What followed was a brief but productive bilingual conversation with a front desk manager, where Véronique mentioned her uncle, Robert Lespérance, well known here to first chairs, and something of an institution at Mont Sutton. Uncle Bob received special mention in my report on my birthday trip to Sutton last year, and we were disappointed he couldn’t join us this time, but he really helped us out all the same. Merci, Oncle Bob. Hope you can join us next.
The conditions were everything a heart desires in late February: full sun, bluebird skies, no wind, and a mountain that was virtually all ours in the morning. The crowds stayed home for the now hotly discussed US-Canada Olympic hockey gold medal game, and we were happy to take advantage. After a few runs following Véronique, mountain slayer, across blacks and double blacks I cannot name, we had a break at the summit chalet to recharge and refuel. We learned from another skier that the US had won the game in OT, and that people were starting to line up at the main lift below, so we decided to stay up top for a while.
Exile became my new favourite run on this visit. Sheltered from the wind, it is a perfectly arched trail with long sweeping turns before it opens up and demands your legs. After a few laps on Exile we worked our way to skier’s left to chill in the blues. Late afternoon, wrapping up near the main chair, we watched a youth program finishing out their weekend, little kids climbing the unload mound and dropping in like it was nothing, two days of training in their legs and still looking for more air. Nearby, an adaptive skier was moving through the trees with quiet confidence. This is a demanding mountain. The sous-bois is wider and less steep in places, but you still have to be alert and mindful of the environment. What it offers is space and time to find your line. I can’t think of another mountain that does that.
We headed toward P3 when the snow started to firm up by mid-afternoon. A leisurely ride back to the city and we were home just before 4:00 p.m. in time to make dinner, check kids homework, Sunday stuff. All 60 trails were open for our shred, with packed powder and 92 percent of the terrain accessible. More snow has fallen in the region since, with colder temperatures holding through the weekend. Quebec school break runs through March 8, so expect company if you’re heading to the Townships. The mountain has a full program running including DJs, ski camps, and open mic. On March 7, Sutton celebrates its 65th anniversary with Retro Day, a vintage theme on the slopes and prizes for best costume. Spring skiing here is worth a dedicated trip: the sous-bois holds moisture, the snow goes soft and surfy, and the mountain takes on a whole different character. I plan to be back soon.
Next stop: Owl’s Head.
Mont Sutton Trail Map
Environment Canada Forecast
Current Conditions
