I enjoyed the easy hike out to the skiway from The Pines Lodge and headed over to the Strawberry Park Express chair to noodle around on that side of the mountain again. I was experiencing some anxiety on the second day of skiing, but regained my confidence later in the day and by the third day, really felt good underfoot, enjoying the easy turning radius of my K2 True Luv skis.

On Day 3 of skiing, I spent most of the day over by the Centennial and Red Buffalo lifts and enjoyed both the wide runs and the beautiful views from that side of the resort.

I decided to ride the split chairlift/gondola down to Beaver Creek Village to beat the lunch rush, as I wanted to try Coyote Cafe, which was wonderful. I was comfortable with the socially-distanced seating, and the food was tremendous, especially the Barbacoa tacos!

On the second day, I had a food delivery via Instacart which was fantastic as it was delivered right to the hotel lobby. I got some pre-made sandwiches, salads, and a few microwaveable items. Each day, by mid-afternoon, I’d ski back to my hotel, go to my hot tub during the reserved time, and then catch up on work on my laptop until around dinnertime. Then, I’d prepare some food, and connect my laptop to the large screen TV, and enjoy streaming movies, relaxing in a very comfortable easy chair, ottoman with a cozy throw blanket. My hotel also had complimentary washer & dryer available for guests which made it convenient to keep my ski attire clean and tidy.

On my last day, I was picked up by my pre-arranged ride with the Epic Mountain Express, and whisked to the Vail airport (EGE) where the driver unloaded my luggage, which was then immediately picked up by airline staff and tagged for my flight. So convenient and effortless! Be sure to have small bills for tipping airport staff; Epic van drivers you can add a gratuity when you prepay that that makes the transaction quicker.

I hope to do a similar trip again. If staying alone, I’d definitely consider The Pines again as I really enjoyed skiing back to the hotel at the end of the day. I wish they had units with a kitchenette setup available. Vail airport was an absolute joy to fly in and out of, and since there are plenty of nonstop options out of ORD through there, it’s now totally on my radar for future ski getaways.