Whiteface Mountain's Hoyt's High Trail opened February 5, so Friday I decided to go check it out and take some video. Hoyt's High is a 4,700-foot long expert trail with a 1,400-foot vertical located at the top of the Outlook Mountain Triple, which begins just off the top of the Face Lift. The beginning of the trail (immediately to your left when you get off the chair lift) starts off as a flat traverse, but don't let this fool you, Hoyt's High is a steep, technical and narrow trail with (off camber) double fall lines*.
*Double Fall Line: A term used for essentially an off camber trail. The fall line is the direction down the hill a ball will roll. A double fall line is when the direction of the trail differs from the direction of the slope. This occurs when trail is cut to direct traffic in one direction while gravity pulls you down the fall line (towards the side of the trail/into the woods).
Friday was a snowy day and by the time I got to the top of the lift I was covered in an inch of fluffy white snow. Just off the lift I noted the Hoyt's High Black Diamond trail sign and began a short, flat traverse to the top of the first pitch. It didn't take long to reach the beginning of the downhill; it's just out of view from the top of the lift. Right away the trail twists and turns with varying steepness. The coverage was mostly man-made snow and had yet to be groomed. The un-groomed snow mounds created another element of fun and I found the trail technical and challenging, with a new surprise around every corner and over every new pitch. There was a mix of fresh soft snow along with firm packed areas and lots of bumps. This was a trail you could take several time and have different experience and line each time. Plus the accumulating snow made it even better. View video of a run on Hoyt's High.
Overall impression – Hoyt's High is a challenging true black diamond that keeps you on your toes. Not for beginners because of the off camber pitches and un-groomed terrain. It definitely adds a new element fun to the slopes at Whiteface.
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