A-Basin, CO - 🟦 Loafer (2-11-24) [4K]

Overall a pretty decent and scenic trail (barring a bit of thin cover at the top), but this is one of the hardest blues I've ever skied. I've heard that this and Davis are quite brutal compared to what you'd come to expect from an intermediate rating. It's just sustained pitch after sustained pitch and wasn't groomed, meaning a lot of ice all the way down.
Quite a few intermediate skiers got stuck on this when I went! If this was properly rated as a diamond it would probably be much more enjoyable since the current rating set the bar pretty high. Still a really nice launchpad for some beautiful gladed trails on either side, though!
Advice: First of all, skip this area if you're not confident with at least some advanced terrain. Otherwise, at the first steep part (1:45 or so) most of the difficulty can be avoided if you take the long way around to avoid the ice, although this can be thin cover as well. Otherwise, just take it slow until you know!
Overall Difficulty: 5/10
Relative Difficulty (Blue): 10/10
Accessibility Rating: 5/10 (Can be reached from any of the upper-mountain lifts with a bit of skating)
Open Trail Index: N/A (No idea, probably opens takes a bit to fill in)
Enjoyment Rating: 4/10 (Poor conditions but still very nice views)

[@JessicaZan]

Thanks for sharing the video. Had this run last Saturday. 100% agree it should be rated diamond. The turn/drop at 1:45 is the most difficult one I've ever seen on ANY blue runs. My 4.5 yr old and I dropped down right behind the "slow" sign and hit grass/rock immediately. The slope is at least 45 degrees at that spot. It was a huge challenge for my son, but he managed to finish it without an issue. Advice for anyone with a kid - DON'T GO!